Mike Visaggio and Kinetic Element: Bio

MIKE VISAGGIO - Keyboards and vocals

MIKE VISAGGIO is a 57-year-old multi-keyboardist, composer and vocalist living in Richmond, VA, USA.

He began playing at age 9, and at 16 joined his first band, Lights ofDarkness, in Queens NY. Subsequently he played in rock bands inthe New York area, forming a progressive rock/jazz-fusion group in 1970 called Randori with bassist Tom DiCarlo, that endured until 1975.
That group recorded in Media Sound Studio with Bob Walters executiveproducer, but failed to land a record deal. During these years Mike attended Queens College in Flushing (NYC) and majored in music.

In 1975 Mike joined up with singer-songwriter Billy Falcon and bass guitarist Ed Gagliardi (who went on to star with Foreigner) and recorded three LP's and an EP with Billy Falcon's Burning Rose between 1975 and 1981. That band recorded in Blue Rock Studio and MCA Studios in New York, and in London at world famous Olympic Studio with producer of the Rolling Stones and Traffic, Jimmy Miller. Mike also played with first-rank New York show band Sound City Orchestra with lifelong friend Bill DiLiberto from 1980 to 1985, doubling chores by holding down the bass with his left hand. He found real Christianity in 1978 and his perspective on
life would never be the same. When he and Falcon parted company late in 1981 he joined a Christian rock group called Innervision, and later played with another Christian group, The Ambassadors, in 1985, both in New York. Mike can be seen on the cover of the "Billy Falcon's Burning Rose" LP at www.BillyFalcon.com.

A period of almost twenty years intervened during which Mike was out of music supporting his family driving 18-wheelers all over America. After his first marriage ended he resumed his passion for music in 2000. Three bands came and went (including The Strokers, with whom he recorded a CD in 2003) and in 2005 he decided to produce and record a solo CD, to be named "Starship Universe." It blends classic rock, prog rock, and new age styles with subtle Christian lyrical themes. The group that resulted from making this CD is KINETIC ELEMENT and the guys have produced and recorded a full length CD called POWERED BY LIGHT.

Mike plays a five-keyboard setup and specializes in the Hammond B-3sound. His influences are the great prog rock acts of the 70's like Yes, Genesis, Asia and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He is fluent and comfortable in most
musical styles but excels in classic rock, prog rock, blues and some jazz idioms. He also has a love for baroque pipe organ music deriving from his studies with Professor Paul Maynard at Queens College.

Mike continues to reside in Richmond with his wife Eugenia. He may be reached online at bigroad3@gmail.com, or on this website at miketheorganist@mikevisaggio.com, and is
available for about any kind of musical project. Kinetic Element may be found on Myspace at www.myspace.com/kineticelement..

MICHAEL MURRAY - Drums

Michael's dad is a drummer who started in school, has been playing gigs in and around Norfolk since he was a teenager and is still playing to this day. Michael really got started in 6th grade band myself. Once in while his dad would set up his drums in the house and he'd jump on 'em every chance he got so he's been playing since he was a kid. Michael has played off and on in his spare time with bands doing blues, rock, country/southern rock etc. He enjoy blues, jazz and rock, especially Prog. His favorite drummer is Neal Peart from Rush and along with that band some of his other favorite classic rock bands are Yes, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Heart, Allman Brothers and Stevie Ray Vaughn. A couple of his favorite newer bands are Gov't Mule, Spock's Beard and even the Dave Matthews Band. Michael joined Mike Visaggio in September 2006 to form Kinetic Element, and he can take credit for coming up with the name.

TONY D'AMATO - bass

Tony stepped up to fill the void left by the deaprture of Matt Harris in June 2008 and he is still with us on bass. Tony has played mostly classic rock in his career but is now doing his true love, PROG! He met Mike when they played together on several shows with Richmond Rock Exchange, and when KE needed someone to nail down all the material in a month to play the Prog Day festival in 2008 Tony was "da man."

TODD RUSSELL - guitar

Todd is the musical scholar of Kinetic Element, having a Ph.D. in music. He never played in a rock band prior to joining Kinetic Element although he has played much classical and jazz, but his love for progressive rock led him to call Mike when he found out that KE was looking for a singer and guitarist. He has transformed the sound of the band with his Steve Howe-ish melodic playing and arranging capabilities. Also answers to "Scott" (inside joke).