Bob Vandervliet
Keyboards and Vocals

Bob, who has music degrees from Houghton College in upstate New York and from the University South Carolina, enjoys a director of music position at his church, and is a versatile keyboardist who can cover a range of styles from classical, rock, and jazz.  Playing in Sound Advice is yet another outlet to show his creative talents. 

Growing up in northern New Jersey, Bob's major influences are Billy Joel, Elton John, Rick Wakeman and all his music teachers who told him to stop banging on the piano.  Growing up, Bob first played the trumpet, and when asked why he started playing piano to begin with, he'll quickly qip, "to meet girls."  (Apparently girls don't flock around the trumpet when Haydn's "Trumpet Concerto in Eb" is being played quite the same way they flock around the piano when Chicago's "You're the Inspiration" or Billy Joel's "She's Always a Women" is being played - go figure!)

Despite those "purest of motives," Bob has grown into a full-time musician, doing everything from scoring and arranging music for (and conducting) orchestras and choirs to producing pop and rock recordings.  It's been told that Bob could launch the Shuttle from his mission control-like three keyboard plus laptop computer setup.   When a sound is needed that seems proprietary to some famous artist, Bob seems to always be able to dig into his bag of tricks and pull it into Sound Advice for that "like the record" sound. 

Bob's vocal range allows the band to get all of the harmony parts that the song needs and takes the lead vocals on several tunes to boot.  When a horn section is needed for a gig, Bob's background and experience with directing and orchestration kicks in, and makes it possible for Sound Advice to go from a 6piece to a 9piece group.  His talent makes this band versatile, creative and authentic sounding.