Some blame it on an accidental overdose of gamma radiation. Others say it was a bite from a musically gifted spider. Or maybe it was just something in the cafeteria food. How else does one explain Chad Lawson’s transformation in a few short years from Purdue computer engineering major with no musical background, to composer/performer/conductor with two trips to Carnegie Hall under his belt?

Chad may have been a late bloomer musically, but he has more than made up for it. After convincing the music department at Drake University to take a chance on him, he quickly surpassed many of his classmates in theory and composition. He just couldn’t get enough, and within two years, he was performing with Drake’s top tier jazz ensemble at the Montreux Jazz Festival, and going on tours of the U.S. and Europe with the choir.

Later, he would go on to study 16th Century counterpoint technique (yes, really) at the Cleveland Institute of Music, immersing himself in classical composition for eight hours a day, producing a fugue every week. Who is this guy?

Thanks to his programming background, Chad knows his way around a computer keyboard as well as a musical one. Presently, he plays a keyboard at a improv comedy club coming up with songs and underscore on the spot as people randomly call them out from the audience. He’s also a fan of Django Reinhardt and getting in touch with the inner Chad. Occasionally, he answers to the name, “Big Daddy.”