In his freshman year of high school, AV Alum Logan Kane (‘15) performed at the Firehouse Arts Center when it was inaugurated. Fast forward to 2023, and he’s an established freelance musician, chasing his dream of being a singer-songwriter. 

“Since we’re freelancers, we’re constantly playing with different bands. Sometimes we’ll play with five different bands in one week. It’s just kind of a thing that we do,” said Kane.

Kane was actively involved in the music scene here at Amador, participating in orchestra and band classes. His schedule included practice periods which influenced his growth as a musician.

“We had such an amazing band program, and I know Mr. Aubel retired this year. I know Mr. Grantham is still there. They were, to be honest, just some of the best music teachers that anyone could ever ask for. They were so great and available to all the students both musically and emotionally any time we needed anything. The music program at Amador was super special because it fostered a sense of community,” said Kane.

More than music

During quarantine, Kane took his music career to the next level with Nicole McCabe, a saxophonist and graduate of the Marin School of the Arts, while on tour in Oregon. They started messaging each other on Instagram and sending each other bits of them playing. They wrote songs by building off what they sent each other, creating their electro-jazz duo: Dolphin-Hyperspace.

“We work on our songs together, but sometimes he’ll bring in an idea and then we’ll work off that and then I’ll bring in an idea and we’ll help each other. Sometimes it’s more one person’s song than the other, but we definitely decide everything together, said McCabe.

When McCabe moved to Los Angeles, where Kane was living and performing, the duo began to write songs in person and perform live together. 

“Me and Logan both love so many different kinds of music and we love to dance and party, so we really wanted to do some sort of project where people could dance and be excited. It’s a very lighthearted project,” said McCabe.

The next level

Kane’s most recent accomplishment as a musician includes playing at the Firehouse Arts Center on February 3rd. Kane performed with McCabe and played songs they wrote for Dolphin-Hyperspace.

“I never thought that Mark Dunkenson, who runs all the youth programs at the Firehouse Arts center, would remember me from freshman year. It meant a lot for him to bring us up, and he was also very gracious about being like ‘hey, bring whoever you want.’ I thought it would be great to bring Nicole and do Dolphin Hyperspace, and he was like: yes, let’s do it. They really welcomed us with open arms, and it’s just a great facility,” said Kane.

Kane also performed with Dolphin-Hyperspace at the Los Angeles club, Gold Diggers. The duo plan on hosting more shows in the future, creating authentic music for their fans. 

“You have to do the work and do the preparation to respect your instrument practice and know everything you need to know. Try to just be yourself and create something that’s authentic. People really gravitate towards that when they can tell it’s a really authentic experience,” said Kane.