Passage was formed in 2000 with its current line-up and is enjoying the success of its first full length CD released in the spring of 2005. Bringing forth a synergy combining the best of classic power trios, Passage is a band cutting its edge in the new millennium with a modern yet completely original rock sound. By blending elements of classic rock, pop and progressive rock, the band moves the listener from emotional ballad to momentous, spiritual rock anthem. Inspired by classic bands of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, Passage focuses on bringing a positive message. Believing that music is the most powerful form of communication, these lyrics describe real-life situations, including the tough things we all go through and hope for the future. It is not enough just to lament the ills of society or politics or personal struggles without pointing to the beacon of light at the end of the tunnel. That is the purpose of the music. There is much more to this life than what we see, feel, taste or touch. As people created in the image of God, we have been given a unique place in time and history to shine the light that we have been given. That light was revealed in ages past and continues to illuminate the hearts and minds of revolutionary people. People who have the courage to go against the tide of mainstream, godless, humanistic thinking touted by the pop-culture news media and shameless Hollywood stereotypes. These songs are portraits of life on this plane and in the next. When we realize that we are part of something far grander than our day-to-day routine, we can be set free. That is itself a wonderful mystery with eternal implications...

Passage 101

So, you want to know more about the band...
Bruce- Bass and vocals

What is your favorite?

Color:I dig Teal. I have a 5 string bass that looks like the waters of the Aegean Sea on a sunny day and my chopper is more blue than green, but it looks fantastic.

Actor: Harrison Ford. No matter how old this dude gets, he still is the ultimate "tough guy." Air Force One is a great movie.

Actress:Do I really have to?! I guess it would have to be the gal that plays the captain on Star Trek Voyager. Her low timbered voice thrills me.

Book of the Bible:Psalms in the old testament has some of the most beautiful language to describe God and His creation. It also is refreshingly candid and David is not afraid to tell God his feelings. I like that. Acts in the new testament is like a well-written adventure novel. The only thing is that the miracles and story are real- not fiction. That gives me ultimate hope.

Dessert: I really like cherry cheesecake. With a caramel machiatto latte, of course!

Comfort food: Fritos honey bbq flavor twists (when they're on sale)

Movie: Blade Runner. I like the scene at the end when he runs away with the beautiful android, uh, I mean, replicant. I don't know exactly why I like that part.

Elvis or the Beatles? I don't care for either particularily. They are both great examples of talent. But I think Led Zeppelin was more my scene and time. Kashmir rocks!

Black or White? Depends on how you look at it. What does this question mean?

Cosby or Seinfeld? They both had their moments. I think Cosby was more conservative in his approach to humor and I can dig that. Seinfeld had cool bass licks and I can relate to Kramer's hair. It kind of reminds me of mine!

Turn Ons? Flying along at about 75- 85 mph on a country road on my motorcycle. Non-materialistic women. Honest politicians with integrity. Wonderfully flavorful, refreshing, caffeinated beverages. Winning Seattle sports teams. Crispy, crunchy and fluffy hairdos. good war movies, F-15 Eagles, Ron's drumming and sage-like sideburns, dancing cartoon hyenas and petite, Bible believing, dark-haired women.

Turn Offs? Jerry Springer and anyone who has a TV show like it, Tom Lichaus, (I don't know the correct spelling and don't care), the liberal media and Hollywood, Christians who persecute other Christians, tattoos and body piercings, a man who treats his wife like a slave, kids who spew profanity.

What was your most embarrassing moment? The time I was shoved down the "elevator" at high school by a gang of hooligans. The thing is, we didn't have an elevator...

What do you have in your CD player right now? The first Audioslave album. It sounds like Soundgarden- only better and with a slightly positive message. I like the weird, innovative guitar playing.

Ron- Drums

What is your favorite?

Color: blue

Actor: johnny depp

Actress: emma thompson

Book of the Bible: song of solomon

Dessert: coconut creme pie

Comfort food: safeway 'moose tracks' ice cream Movie: the notebook

Elvis or the Beatles? The Beatles

Black or White? Black

Cosby or Seinfeld? Seinfeld (more real)

Turn Ons? Caring people, romantic and fateful movies..

Turn Offs? Selfish and inconsiderate people

What was your most embarrassing moment? Asking a woman on an elevator, "When are you due?", and her answering, "I'm not pregnant". (ouch)

Dave- Guitar

What is your favorite?

Color: Blue. No, Yellow! Auuuuuuuuugh!

Actor: It's a tie between 1: Bruce, when he robot dances during "Living Water" - have you seen it? He looks exactly like a real robot! Or, 2: Ron, when he pretends to laugh at one of Bruce's comedy routines.

Actress: Bea Arthur.

Book of the Bible: Acts. Or as we say in da hood, Axe.

Dessert: This week it's Mrs. Richardson's Caramel/Butterscotch Sauce. Ice cream optional.

Comfort food: Fluffy-Puff marshmallows. "'Sup, fools"? "Stuff some in your pockets for secret eating"! "Hide some under your pillow for sleepytime"!

Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey. It was mythical when I was a kid, and the soundtrack is spellbinding.

Elvis or the Beatles? Puhleeze. You've got to be barking mad.

Black or White? I have no preference for either race.

Cosby or Seinfeld? see above.

Turn Ons? my family, sci-fi books, Lake Wenatchee, bicycling, good hikes, (why do I feel like I'm signing up for online dating?), my wife's lattes, a good night's sleep, doofy geeks, watching my kids perform, new strings, challenging preaching, dogwoods, Sparta's pizza, dahlias, creative music, people that laugh at themselves, humility, wackiness, humor, cynicism, wacky cynical humor.

Turn Offs? sitcoms, out of tune instruments, alarm clocks, TBN, arrogance, dogmatism, ABABCB, egos, golf courses, diet anything, bad parenting, people that don't see the bigger picture, bad interfaces, bsod, empty promises.

What was your most embarrassing moment? When I was a kid my Mom took me to the doctor for a chronic stuffy nose. The doctor stuck a hose up it to "vacuum" it out. He said he found "some sort of small, rubbery item". It was my pencil eraser.

Dave Hipke

Dave's interest in music began at age nine with violin. In his early teens he learned electric guitar and played in several "garage" bands while working as a soundman for several years. He took up classical guitar at 16. College, marriage, and career put music on the back burner for several years until the opportunity to play on the worship team at Life Worship Center in Bothell, WA, came up where he served for five years playing lead guitar, solo classical guitar ("never again!") backing up the soundman, and developing the church sound system. Bruce & Dave met when Bruce joined the team. In 1998, soon after leaving his former church, Dave filled a vacant lead guitar position in a band called Go Fish where Bruce played. In 1999, Go Fish became Go Fish Ministries and supported by Overlake Christian Church, Dave played lead guitar at outreach concerts in Seattle area parks nearly every weekend for a summer. In 2000, Go Fish Ministries musicians formed Manna Road and Dave played lead guitar on Manna Roads' first CD, "New Journey". That same year, Bruce, seeking to develop a progressive Christian rock band, formed Passage and Dave followed. Dave played lead guitar on Passage's first album, released in 2005. Dave grew up in a Lutheran church and served where he could with guitar. Dave was born & raised in Washington State, spending most of his childhood in Bellevue, WA. An Information Technology manager by day, he currently lives in Edmonds with his wife of 19 years and their 2 children. They currently attend Edgewood Baptist Church in Edmonds, WA, where Dave plays on the worship team.

Ron Turner

Ron began his love affair with the drums 36 years ago in junior high, after cutting his musical teeth on the guitar for three years. A strong background in improvisational jazz became the foundation for his musical journey through bebop, gospel, Latin, funk, fusion, hip hop, punk, alternative and progressive rock. This musical diversity has opened doors for Ron to record extensively from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine, and from Los Angeles to Seattle, with the likes of punk/mod band THE START, rockers PILGRIM, SMALL TOWN, and PASSAGE, Cher and Toto singer and saxman WARREN HAM, jazz rockers MANNA, house dance band DAVID TAYLOR EXPRESS, fusion guitarist JIM SLUDER, funk fusion rockers LITTLE HAROLD, and "Flintstones" television theme song arranger and jazz composer TED NICHOLS. Ron's eclectic touring has taken him throughout the United States, Canada, and England; from Sunset Strip to Grimsby, the British coastal fishing town described in Elton John's classic song of the same name. He has toured with classic rockers THE TOKENS ("The Lion Sleeps Tonight"), gospel band THE DOUGLAS FAMILY, rockers PILGRIM and MANNA, and evangelists Mike Silva and Luis Palau, playing Latin funk/jazz alongside famed sax man JUSTO ALMARIO and former Elton John guitarist CALEB QUAYE. Recent musical ventures include Seattle bands PASSAGE, 3 LB SOUL, LITTLE HAROLD, ILLUMINATE, and noted Seattle bassist MARC MILLER. Ron has artist program endorsements with Ayotte Drums and Axis Percussion. Ron's musical passion is to serve the music. "I want to play each style authentically and with fire. My goal is to help whatever band I am playing with sound the absolute best that they possibly can." Come hear Ron serve the music and give his all with 'PASSAGE'. Bring your fire extinguisher.

Bruce Snider

Bruce started playing bass when he was 17 when a friend in high school suggested that he take it up so to accompany him on guitar. Hooking up with a metal band in 1981, they played Scorpions, Judas Priest and Rush tunes. Going through several name changes, the band disbanded in 1983. Bruce would go on to play in a few original bands. For a couple of years he studied with accomplished jazz pianist and bassist Bogey Vujkov and took vocal lessons from Academy of Music in Bellevue, WA . In 1987 Bruce accepted a gig in a Top 40 dance club band. The first couple of years the club circuit was fun and an adventure, going on the road and living the working musician life. Bruce has played in local club bands SYD/FX, Ninja, Panama and Bad Actor, to name a few. Continuing in the clubs full-time until 1993, Bruce decided to go back to working days. It had been an interesting "vacation". Bruce quit the club scene altogether in 1996. He had gained quite a bit of experience playing a variety of styles of music from metal to funk to rap and sequenced dance music. The joy of performing live was going to take a higher road and sacrifice in the coming years. In 1995 a friend suggested that he check out a small 4-Square Church he was attending. He informed Bruce that they needed a bass player and drummer. Bruce accepted the invitation. The songs and choruses really pierced his heart and humbled him, allowing a relationship to develop that had been sorely missed in his life for years. That was the setting in which Bruce met Dave, guitarist for Passage. He later met Ron, drummer for the band, after a worship set in which Ron was playing at Overlake Christian Church. He invited Ron to listen to some songs Dave and he had recorded. Ron was interested and started rehearsing and gigging with the band in late 2000. Bruce is an experienced studio musician, playing bass, guitar and singing lead and backing vocals on projects at Paradise Sound Recording Studios in Index, WA, Wiseman Studio in Redmond, WA and David Scott Studio in Everett, WA. Bruce was a band leader at Overlake Christian Church's Lifeline single's ministry from 1998 to 2001, was on staff at Kenmore Community Church as the praise team leader for almost two years and is currently leading the worship band at Grace Community Church in Bellevue, WA. Having performed for over 20 years in a myriad of venues in the Pacific Coast region in numerous bands, both secular and non-secular, and as a solo artist, God has been the driving force behind Bruce's musical and creative potential which has enabled him to fulfill some of his loftier dreams and tell others of the joy of worship. It is an immense blessing few artists get to realize. When you give up your dreams to Him who is in control of everything, He gives it back to you in a way you could never have expected. That's how He is.