Brandon E. Kocher has been playing music since he was a child. Starting with piano and violin lessons while in elementary school and junior high. In high school he took an interest in the bass guitar and played in his first band called Blue Light Special. Brandon’s junior year of high school his parents gave him his first 6 string acoustic guitar. Then, instead of bass, Brandon played rhythm acoustic and sang back up vocals. In Autumn of 1999, Brandon’s senior year of high school, he wrote his first song called Autumn’s Ledges.

High School ended and Brandon’s first semester at John Carroll University began. Brandon would stay in most Friday and Saturday nights, of his freshman and sophomore year, to be with his music and artwork. There in his dorm room Brandon’s music career began to grow as he became more and more dedicated to creating music. The name, FireSide Symphony, came from two of Brandon’s friends who, while joking about band names, blurted out “FireSide Symphony.” Brandon was drawn to the name and his friends gladly said, “it’s yours to go with!” and Brandon has been playing as FireSide Symphony ever since.

In 2004, Brandon’s junior year of college, he recorded his first solo album called New Days, New Life and also moved off campus to the Coventry Village, where he would meet several other aspiring musicians. Sean Ferguson, who lived down the street, played bass guitar and was already working with a drummer named J Guy. FSS now a trio began playing live at several different locations in Cleveland. Other artists from the Coventry area such as Kole, a lyricist, and Mike Shafarenko a violinist, would play live with FSS during the winter, spring and summer of 2006.

Brandon Kocher was introduced to recording engineer Adam Gordon, through Brandon from Jambe’ with Way of Love music, for an opportunity to have an FSS recording on the Midwest Live and Love compilation album. Adam and Brandon Kocher enjoyed working together so much that Adam agreed to record FireSide Symphony’s second album Soul Journey.  All music on the album is written by Brandon Kocher and will feature each artist mentioned above.

As life carries people in all different directions, all members of the band moved away from Coventry village and no longer perform live together. However, FireSide Symphony remains an ever-evolving puzzle piece to Brandon Kocher’s life and Brandon is currently playing live with FireSide Symphony as a trio, with good friend Mike Minnaugh and Shai from Shai Roots.

  FireSide Symphony, a trio once again, is more confident now than ever before, in their ability to deliver a unique organic sound, while conveying a message of hope for a life of love, peace and happiness.