Pander grew up in Clear Lake, Texas listening to jazz, blues, pop and funk music. When he was just 10 years old, Pander went into Houston where a street bum pulled him aside. Instead of asking for money, the bum gave Pander a beaten-up, old guitar. The bum told Pander to go make something of yourself with his guitar. Was that a sign, or what? But the only problem was Pander became a drummer and jazz was his thing. So he put the guitar in the closet…played drums for several different jazz and rock, cover bands …until he realized he could sing and write.

"It was hard to get up from behind the drum kit. I was so use to hiding back there. But I love to sing and as I got older the words were pouring out of mouth," says 25 year old Pander.

Pander dedicated himself to developing his songwriting skills, honing in on his guitar playing in favor of memorable melodies and distinctive rhythmic textures. At 20 he hit the stage in the forefront and belted out some funky, soulful sounds wowing audiences in his hometown. That's when he put together a funky band called Soular Slide.

The local press soon discovered Pander and Soular Slide. In May 2000 the band performed on Houston's #1 morning talk show, ABC's The Debra Duncan Show. They won the talk show's local band talent search. Pander's band won Shiner Bock's Battle of the Band contest in Houston and played Bocktoberfest 2000 in Shiner, Texas. In April 2001 they were selected to showcase their music at the NeMO Music Conference in Boston. And the Houston Press nominated them as one of Houston's best 2001 Funk/R&B bands. Houston's only daily newspaper, the Houston Chronicle ran a big story on the guys in the Business section of the Sunday, July 8 2001 edition. And the Houston Press found them newsworthy in late July 2001 when they too ran a spread about Pander and his former band.

In October 2001, Pander left Soular Slide to pursue his current organic renditions of his energetic, earnest songs. His style is sophisticated, accessible folk tock dominated by acoustic guitar-playing with a hint of jazz and soul. He knows how to captivate crowds with his video-ready-good looks and songs that touch everyone.

Pander's enthusiasm for songwriting is immediately evident when seeing him on stage. "Standing in front of a mic with a guitar that's in tune and reaching people through my music. It's an amazing feeling. The crowd will sing along with something I wrote…I love that! They've actually connected to what I have to say."

It's the dedication to his songs that inspire Pander to keep writing. "I want to make music. I live, eat and breathe music. People will connect to a good song because good songs communicate in a language that transcends all barriers. I write songs about real life and I think that's why people connect to what I sing about," says Pander. Pander's new CD is entitled "Soundtrack to Life" and will be available October 2002.

He was nominated as one of Houston's best pop/rock bands according to the Houston Press 2002 Music Awards. And he was selected to perform as the regular house band for a new teen talk show airing on the WB nationally debuting this fall entitled "Teen Talk."