Tom Hinders

Thomas Steven Hinders (born September 25, 1980) is an American jazz and classical saxophonist and fledgling bandleader.

Early life

Hinders was born in Sioux City, Iowa on September 25, 1980, free of any disabilities or disorders. However, when he was six years old, his recurrent laryngeal nerve popped, causing him to become MUTE. This made his school years very difficult, since he was refrained from entering into any special disabilites programs. To compensate for his inability to speak, he often carried around a notepad and pencil. When he was eight, he decided to take up the alto saxophone. Supposedly, due to him being mute, he developed a perfect pitch, and ended up being very musically adept at learning how to play instruments. He quickly became an excellent saxophonist, always ending up with the "lead chair" in his school-year bands.

Current Life

After completing high school, in 1998, he moved to San Francisco, to try and make a living for himself in music. In 2002, he met pianist David Porter, bassist Tyrone Hinders (no relation), and drummer Craig Morgan at a local jazz club. In 2006, they formed the Aphone Quartet, which originated its name from aphonia, the disorder that afflicts Hinders. The group is still relatively unknown, but is expected to gain notoriety once their album, Colors of Tone, is released sometime in 2008.