Teo started playing guitar aged 11 inspired by the music of Prince, George Benson, Larry Graham, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, The Beatles, Frank Zappa, Depeche Mode, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Blackbyrds, MF Doom, Little Richard, John Coltrane, Talking Heads, The Meters, Jimi Hendrix, N.W.A. George Clinton, Chicago, Jeff Beck, Bob Dylan, Johnny Guitar Watson, Rufus & Chaka Khan, Fugazi, Kenny Burrell, The Cure, Public Enemy, João Gilberto, The Velvet Underground, Jorge Ben Jor, Rakim, Marcus Miller, Redman, Curtis Mayfield, Black Sabbath, Kraftwerk and Steely Dan. Working as a guitar tech for Woodstock legend Richie Havens inspired Teo to begin writing and recording his own music as a self-taught multi-instrumentalist (guitar, bass, drums, synths, MPC, percussion, vocals) producer and engineer. He cites his musical mentors and friends that helped to shape his sound: Fred Wesley (Count Basie, James Brown, P-Funk) Leo Nocentelli (The Meters, Patti Labelle, Dr. John) Henry 'Pucho' Brown (Pucho and His Latin Soul Bros, Tito Puente, George Benson) Bill Perry (Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Richie Havens) Mark Whitfield (Herbie Hancock, Ray Charles, Quincy Jones) Bernie Worrell (P-Funk, Talking Heads, Fela Kuti) Peter DiStefano (Porno for Pyros, Satellite Party, Lance Herbstrong) Stone Mecca (Wu Tang Clan, Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg) Junior Delgado (Dennis Brown, Big Youth, Lee "Scratch" Perry) https://linktr.ee/teotansiri