There are very few elements in this universe that really matter. They can’t be found in any science text, nor can they be taught by any great orator. The elements that truly make up this life are simple yet nearly impossible to define. As if they were children’s blocks, the purest matter in our universe designs and builds each and every one of us.
Very few of these elements can single-handedly define the entirety of the human race. Music is one of those elements. Since his birth in 1988, Tom Winchester has always felt a covalent attraction to music. Growing up in Central-Southern Illinois, his first passion for electronic music would emerge from a locale not typically home to the genre.
At the age of 11, Tom Walked into the local CD shop and purchased his first discs of the music that would soon become more than an obsession. One song in particular caught his attention: The Quest – C Sharp. As soon as the first breakdown presented an orchestral theme, Tom was hooked. Before he knew it, fifteen minutes had passed and he was still lost in some other realm of consciousness; lost in a trance. If you’ve ever been exposed to this classic, you know where he escaped to…
That was the beginning of a passion. Soon he was making a regular trip to the CD store in search of newer addictions. Like a drug, Tom almost instinctively bought music…always in search of something new. At first two or three CDs a week would suffice, but soon enough he was purchasing six to seven hour compilations a week. Listening to the manipulations that were made to the instruments and musical qualities of the chord progressions and rhythms was almost a study for him. But one part of the package stood out to him: the flow.
His first major influence would be the future world #1 DJ Armin Van Buuren. The early episodes of A State of Trance were simply breathtaking. Listening as the master was able to weave and interlude themes and motifs from one song to the next was not only an enjoyable way to interract with the music Tom had fallen in love with, but it would soon become a catalyst for the reaction that was about to take place. Simply listening wasn’t enough.
At the age of 16, Tom Winchester downloaded trial versions of virtual DJ studios in hopes of achieving the ability to be a part of the music that was defining him. Releasing mixed CDs to parents and friends was always an extreme joy for him, but it wasn’t quite enough. He didn’t have enough money to buy the music he wanted to play, and he didn’t have anyone to critique his abilities.
Shortly thereafter, Tom came into contact with DJ GT of GENERATION TRANCE. It was here that Tom would find his first major outlet. Starting out was rough, but many of the members who frequented the boards of the website encouraged and challenged his abilities. After a year of practice and criticism from his peers, Tom decided to dedicate himself to the continued improvement and refinement of his mixing abilities. He bought his first hardware at the age of 18, generated the alias ‘Functon T’ from a forum poll, and from there began to rehearse almost religiously in the hopes that one day he would be able to take others on the journeys that he himself was traversing.
His first big break would come in the winter of his freshman year at Bradley University. Believing that his talents were worth the backing of an online radio station, Function T applied to Deviant Audio in 2007. By January of 2008, his show (entitled A Digital Religion) was on the air for the world to hear. Initial feedback was incredibly positive, and Function T hasn’t looked back since.
However, in March of 2008 the radio station mysteriously dissapeared off the face of the planet almost overnight. Left without an aperture for his creativity, Function T feverishly hammered applications out to other radio stations in hopes that he could find a new place to call home. After months of communication with multiple radio stations, an exclusive residency at SENSE.FM was syndicated. He had a new place to play and A Digital Religion could now be heard by over 200+ listeners at any time.
As of today, Function T has released over 3.5 days worth of A Digital Religion, one of the biggest shows on the internet. On December 5, 2011, Function T released his debut album “Of Traffic Lights & Perfect Nights” in a charity effort to raise money for the American Heart Association. With an immense talent on the rise and an incredible passion for this music, only the future will show what can happen with a little bit of faith and a lot of respect for the invisible laws and pure matter that govern our lives…