Name:
Brad Coloma

Plays:
Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals

Musical Background:
Brad comes from very musical background. His father, Tally, who is a singer and plays the violin, encouraged him at a young age to follow the same footsteps. His mother Gail plays piano, and his sister, Christine also sings. His uncle, Relly Coloma is a talented keyboardist and recording artist who has been recording for over 20 years.

Brad started violin lessons at the age of four, and also assisted his father in singing special music at church. The other instruments Brad started out on besides the violin were the piano and trumpet, before taking an interest in drums and percussion in his 2nd year in Kingsway College, an SDA academy in Oshawa, ON. Since then and throughout his college career, he's played percussion in concert bands spanning a total of 9 years, leading the percussion section as first chair 5 of those years.

Brad took up the drumset in the spring of his grade 12 year at Kingsway , and learning the drumming fundamentals playing in his church.

Taking his drums to college in 92-93, he played in his first Christian band "Witness" which was a band with a guitar sound based at Canadian University College. In 1995, he transferred to Andrews University, where the beginnings of Quintessence were to be seeded. Meeting some new friends, and forming a group for song services and banquets, the new group, which was unnamed, was an instrumental group. The group included a keyboard, saxophone, electric guitar, bass, and drums. This would later be the foundation for the group "Quintessence".

Brad took time off of school and went back to CUC to work for a year. Leaving the group at Andrews, he started a new group at CUC named "J'ayla", which did mostly cover songs of the female Christian groups such as Point of Grace. Thus the group consisted of 3 female singers, and 5 instruments; 2 guitars, bass, keyboard and drums. The need for Brad to finish school approached, and he left the group, as did some other members. The group continued one more year at CUC without him, the same year that Quintessence came to being.

In 1997-1998 school year, Brad returned to Andrews and met up with his old buddies from the previous 95-96 group, only this time, the bassist, Benny Regoso's sister was a freshman, and became part of the group along with her roommate.

Brad started writing music in the fall of 1997, and in 1998, for a Valentines banquet, the name "Quintessence" was born, and has stuck ever since. The group back then consisted of a lead singer, 2 keyboardists, a bassist and drums.

In the 1998-99 school year, Brad went to Texas to complete his dietetic internship. Quintessence took a 5 month hiatus during that time. However living near the campus of Southwestern Adventist University, and meeting some new friends, his love for music spawned yet another new band; "Cadence". This band was borne of a one time concert the group played for on a Friday night, in which original music of both Brad and another member were performed. This band also continued for a while longer doing some recording after Brad's departure back to Andrews University to continue with the band Quintessence.

Brad has lead the group since it's beginning, planning, leading and organizing all aspects of it. But he enjoys playing the gigs the most.