Moorpark College Student Performs at Denver Hard Rock

Singer/songwriter Taylor Borsuk, an 18-year-old Moorpark College student, made a recent appearance at the Denver Hard Rock Café.

That Borsuk would be invited to sing there is exciting, but how he came to sing there is just as remarkable.

Borsuk is a Moorpark native who graduated last year from Moorpark High School. His dad tried early on to interest him in music.

“Guitars were always lying around the house,” said Borsuk. “My dad is a musician. He tried to get me interested in the classical guitar. I was maybe 10, but I didn’t take to it. I played hockey, so I really didn’t care.”

But when Borsuk entered high school, his dad did something unusual.

“It was kind of a dare,” he said. “My dad said I couldn’t learn ‘Blackbird’ (a Beatles song sung by Paul McCartney). So he went out to walk the dog and by the time he came back I had learned most of it. After that it became a fun thing to do.”

Borsuk became quite proficient and began playing in public.

“I’ve played in a band called the Santa Barbararians,” he said. “We played at the High Street Theater and the 118 West.”

Borsuk even recorded a video of his own song titled “Goodbye” and posted it on topblip.com, an entertainment website that bills itself as the “world’s entertainment radar.”

After posting it, he went on with his life—classes, schoolwork, music. It was while attending the Coachella Music Festival in Indio two weeks ago that his life took an interesting twist.

“I arrived Thursday night and the festival started on Friday,” said Borsuk. “I woke on Friday to an e-mail saying ‘Congratulations you’ve been chosen to open for Art Alexakis (of the band Everclear)' "

Needless to say, Borsuk was excited. Shortly thereafter, he received a follow-up email from Denver Hard Rock Café Manager John Lindsay.

“He asked me if I could make it there by 8 tonight,” said Borsuk. 

Borsuk put in an emergency call to his family, who jumped into action, made last minute flight arrangements and left Moorpark that same morning.

“We all flew out from the Ontario airport,” said Borsuk. “I walked about a mile or so to a hotel in Indio and I waited out front. I told the cab to meet me there."

He met his dad and sister at the Ontario airport. He and his father cut the whole security line and were the last people on the plane. A friend in Denver picked them up at the airport.

"So we walked into the Hard Rock with all our luggage at 8, right on time,” Borsuk said.

He picked up his guitar, waited for his introduction from Lindsay, then walked out on stage and cooly did a 20-minute set.

Taylor described the Hard Rock audience as laid back and kind.

"People were definitely asking where they could hear my music. They gave me a nice Denver welcome,” he said.

After the show, Alexakis and Lindsay also gave him a warm reception.

“I was walking by and he (Alexakis) grabbed me and said how well I did and couldn’t believe I was 18,” Borsuk said. “He said if I ever wanted a producer to give him a call. And he asked me to keep in contact."

Borsuk left Alexakis a text message saying "If you’re serious about that offer I’d love to take you up on that" and Lindsay told him he would check out the music scene in Los Angeles and see if he could get the teen in.

Borsuk describes his style of guitar playing as western folk style with blues influence.

“I love the blues, Robert Johnson,” he explained. “I credit my dad with that. Even when I didn’t listen to blues, my dad played it.”

His favorite artists include Paolo Nutini and folk artist Jack Johnson.

“I know how to play Jack’s song ‘Banana Pancakes’,” he said. “At one point I knew almost every song he wrote.”

His current list of favorites includes singer/songwriter Andrew Bird, St. Vincent, Blind Pilot and folk artists like Alexi Murdoch.

Borsuk is finishing his second semester at Moorpark College. He plans to enroll in summer classes and is working hard to finish in two years. But whatever his major may be, music will remain front and center. Now that he’s had a taste of the business, he’s ready for more.

“I’m taking some music classes,” he said. “Things like music theory. I’m ready to learn any instrument. Personally I want to learn everything.”

And what if Alexakis or Lindsay send him another surprise text message?

“I’d like to go on a tour,” said Borsuk. “Just give music my all because it’s definitely what I want to do. If school needs to be put on hold for that, that’s fine with me.”