Walking the halls of Ohio funk you’ll find it’s freshest young groove makers answering the call to form a spectacle of epic proportions. Safety Squad is an over-the-top fusion band that has been taking over stages in the Midwest, pounding out dance grooves that makes everyone and their mama’s mama get up and move. Championing a style they call "Adventure Jazz" Safety Squad is a powerhouse band you should give a funk about. Sophomore album "Into the Danger Zone!" was released in April, and the Safety Squad is adventuring out of the safe zone into the national spotlight.
MC/ Poet/ Songwriter Kuf Knotz and classically trained Harpist / Guitarist / Pianist / Vocalist Christine Elise have combined forces to create a new album. The unlikely pair connected and built the project with a similar vision, wanting to create positive, forward-thinking music driven by a strong message. Both individuals are intrinsically motivated to foster community growth through musical expression.
Kuf Knotz and Christine Elise offer motivational creative arts workshops and performances at various settings such as hospitals, schools and community centers. Their mission is to use the power of music, personal experience and empathetic relation to help individuals grow to meet their fullest potential.
Christine Elise has a strong background in music therapy having delivered music therapy services to children, adults, and seniors with developmental delays, special needs and those needing emotional support. Finding a passion for community music therapy, she has facilitated group sessions for professionals and clients in the USA, South Africa, Peru and Jamaica. She has presented at national and regional music therapy conferences, with a focus on her community music therapy work, as well as written three scholarly articles published by Music Therapy Perspectives.
Kuf Knotz is one of todays fastest emerging alternative artists which has led him to open for top acts - Ms Lauryn Hill, The Wailers, The Roots, Common, G-love, Wyclef Jean, Robert Randolph, Arrested Development, Robert Glasper, Inspectah Deck, Steel Pulse, Rising Appalachia, Zac Deputy, Josh Ritter, B.O.B, Bone Thugs & Harmony, Kabaka Pyramid, Yellowman , Soulive , Easy Star Allstars, & Bruce Springsteen.
In addition to his musical talent, Kuf has a strong passion for supporting the community by participating and facilitating fundraising events such as food drives, clothing drives, cancer benefits, and disaster reliefs. He is also a member of the WXPN program Musicians on Call, bringing live music to the bedsides of patients throughout Philadelphia.
With the new album coming out, the pair will be hitting the road this summer, available for full band or smaller acoustic duo shows.