Corban: Home

Stephen Ng (lead vocals, guitar, songwriter)

As excited as I am about our music, especially the Openings CD release, I still cannot believe the amazing journey that led us to this point. This past year I led the contemporary music for my parish Youth Mass. My musical background includes training in piano, voice, and guitar. Though I’d taken music lessons in high school, I started to get really involved with my music in college. Speaking of which, I graduated from the College of William & Mary and the University of Virginia law school. Go Cav-Man!

My greatest musical experience ever was definitely singing a song I wrote for my wife Jessica at our wedding, with backup from a ten-piece orchestra and a twenty-person choir. The latest blessing in my life is my baby daughter, Hannah Marie!

My faith is the cornerstone of my life, and I thank God for this opportunity to praise Him through writing, arranging, and playing my own music! I pray that through this music, as the song “Openings” says, God will open my heart and let His will be done through me.

Nik Fialka (guitar, programming, producer)

What’s up, guys? So I guess you could consider me the band’s resident fanatic on all things technical or music-trivia related. I’ve been working a lot with Corban’s recording software, effects, and equipment, learning a lot and working hard to make sure that our CD reflects the incredible journey that went into producing it.

After I graduated from the Citadel, I spent 8 years in the Navy, traveling the world and doing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Now I work as a Naval flight instructor. I’m a self-taught guitarist and love jamming whenever I can. I also build my own guitars and collect some on the side, my personal favorite being my 1941 Gretsch® ukulele. Random side-note, my favorite color is clear – I see it everywhere!

Corban’s been a lot of hard work so far, and I mean it really eats up your schedule. But overall this band helps me focus on fun! It’s been a really good time, and I hope we have lots more good times ahead of us.

Kelsi Krieger (vocals, publicity)

Words cannot express how strongly Corban has impacted my faith! The music strikes a chord with me, no pun intended, and helps me see God in a way that’s unique from all of my other musical experiences. I began taking voice and piano lessons in middle school, but most of my musical background actually comes from doing community theatre. Some of my favorite roles that I’ve played include Rosie from Bye, Bye, Birdie, Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, and Frenchy in Grease. I’ve also been very involved with music ministry both at my school and in my Church.

I am currently a Public Relations student at the University of Florida, and I’ve really enjoyed doing publicity work for Corban. The other band members are like a second family to me. I truly cherish the time I’ve spent playing with such talented people. Music is my favorite way of hearing God speak to me, and I pray that Corban’s music will inspire others the way it has inspired me.

Gio Vargas (percussion, guitar)

Hello! How are you? Well, I’m a high school junior and self-taught drummer and guitarist. I’ve been playing for three years now, with some really memorable performances at local events. My personal favorite would have to be rocking out my high school gym at our talent show. Aaah - Reminiscing...

Anyway, I met the gang through playing at our parish Youth Mass. A few road trips and youth conferences later, I find myself in this band with all these amazing people! It’s been a blast.

For me, music is the easiest and most fun way to let out emotions – any emotions, but the effect is even deeper when it comes to my faith. Music is my outlet to praise the Lord in a unique way that makes it more personal.

Jen Bruha (piano)

Hey, everyone! I am currently a junior in high school, where I’ve been playing piano for our school Masses for the past two years. I have also been involved with music at my parish for six years now, playing both flute and piano.

As far as other interests go, my mom is a jiu-jitsu martial arts instructor, and I have been taking lessons from her for five years. We have lots of pets at our house – two dogs, two cats, a tortoise, two turtles, a guinea pig, a crawfish, and several fish. Needless to say, they keep me busy! I literally rock at the expert level of Guitar Hero®, and I’m pretty proud of that, since guitar isn’t even one of the instruments I play.

Music has been a huge part of my life for a while, and being in this band has helped me so much in my talents and gifts that God has given me. Corban helps me give back to God.

Emily Donnell (violin)

Hey, guys! Welcome to our bios! I have been playing both violin and piano since I was nine. Currently, I am finishing up my degree in Music Education at the University of West Florida. I also work at a band and orchestra music store, and on the side I teach private violin and piano lessons. I should confess that I am an avid Rock Band™ enthusiast, having made it all the way to the expert level!

I’ve been singing for as long as I can remember, and I have had some pretty cool performing experiences, including the Florida State University marching band leadership camp. Plus, I can never forget singing at the opening candle-lighting ceremony for Relay for Life in Navarre.

As an education major, I think it’s especially cool that a band like Corban can spread their message and have everyone respond to it – adults, children, and young adults alike. It really does appeal to everyone. I hope that our music can bring people together by spreading the message of our love and devotion to God.

Mike Vogel (guitar)

He was born the third of six children to an Air Force pilot and a woman from Texas.  His first musical influence was his grandmother Izetta, who played guitar and harmonica in honky-tonks in the oil country around Luling, Texas.  His Mom played the piano by ear (still does). His Dad sang from the pew and around a camp fire."

His first instrument was the trumpet. He learned how to read and play music, like most kids his age, at school. Mike's Dad was transferred to Okinawa, Japan as he was entering high school.  He played the horn through middle school in beginning and concert bands.  His Dad was transferred to Okinawa, Japan as he was entering high school.  His director, a man named Ralph Cabret, was a bass player who studied at Julliard. He arranged the Chicago VII album for our Kubasaki High School stage band. We played shows all over the island even doing a couple with the USO."

His brother, Kevin, with three other friends started a band called Desda Nova (“Desda” means nothing and “Nova” means new…get it?). He was the horn player but all of the girls liked the guitar players or drummer so he had to follow his heart. His brother broke most of his fingers teaching him guitar but he was smitten. Desda Nova played at friends parties or at a resort on Okinawa called Okuma. They'd play through the weekend for $200.00 a night and board.

From then on he doubled between the horn and rhythm sections playing in jazz, concert and marching bands.  His father figured that since he and his brother could both play, they owed a debt for their talent to the Almighty. It followed that they should play at mass for the folk and youth choirs.  Mike has played at church ever since. He's been a member of or led a choir in every part of the world for nigh on 35 years.  He has been blessed countless times for the debt he’ll never fully repay.

He continued to double with horn and guitar through college playing in church, jazz, marching and concert bands at Black Hills State College in Spearfish South Dakota and his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. He also played with friends at clubs and parties when the chance arose.

After university, he looked for work but found a life in the Navy flying both the F-4 and F-14. He met and fell in love with a beautiful young woman from Pensacola. They have two sons. He flew for 20 years all the while playing in church and in bands along the way. While in the Navy, he had ample opportunity to organize shipboard concerts, jam with friends, and play in a number of bands with names like Gonzo Jam, Guns Jam, and the Ripper Band. He retired from the Navy after 21 years in Pensacola. He signed on to play with these folks at the annual parish picnic and has been in his regular band, MASS KUNFUZION, ever since."

He plays a white ’82 Japanese Telecaster (named Jae-bird) his wife gave him when they were stationed in Atsugi, Japan bought from the Sony music store in the Ginza of downtown Tokyo; and a black Grande’ Les Paul copy (named Elaine) his father bought for him when I was a senior in High School."

Dave Clark (bass)

Dave grew up in Titusville, Florida where at the age of 12, he first became obsessed with music.  He starting collecting music surveys of the local radio stations, printing up his own Top 40 song lists, and would sit and listen for hours to the radio, writing down the names and artists of all the songs that were played. That was 1966. About the same time, his older brother and father learned to play guitar. Dave followed their example 3 years later, teaching himself guitar in the summer of '69 (and yes, he "played until his fingers bled"). As his mother puts it, "That summer he went into his bedroom, locked the door, and when he came out he could play guitar". In the summer of 1971, he got his first paying gig with the folk-rock group Bearfoot at the short-lived tourist attraction Johnny Weissmuller's Tropical Wonderland. They played 3 or 4 times a day throughout the summer. Each band member's take: $39 for the whole summer. During that summer, Dave started his bass-playing career when Bearfoot's bass player left and Dave was nominated to learn and take over on bass.

In 1972, his senior year at Titusville High School, Dave played rhythm guitar for the school-sponsored group Peacemaker, and played many gigs at local schools and malls. He entered college later that year as a classical guitar major. Two years later he switched majors to Engineering, but never cut back on his guitar playing. In 1977 he moved to Pensacola and began playing bass in church. He and Steve Hernandez set up and ran a home recording studio from the late '70's thru the mid 90's, playing an occasional gig along the way. They recorded many budding artists in Pensacola during this time, including former congressman Joe Scarborough. In 1993, Dave and Steve joined The Alien Bubbas and played many gigs around Pensacola. Dave moved away in 1995, but returned to Pensacola in 1997.

Before joining Mass Kunfuzion in 2005, He and Steve played occasional gigs as members of a succession of bands: The Outtatown Blues Band, Roadkill Revival, CRS, Collective Memory, and Endangered Species. The initial idea for Mass Kunfuzion came about when Steve asked Dave to put together a band for a variety show at St Paul Church.

Dave is low-key about his bass playing, and is happy just to back up the other members of the band. However, if you watch him closely on stage, you begin to appreciate the years of practice he has put into developing the signature bad posture of a true bass player.
When he is not playing with Mass Kunfuzion or Corban, he sometimes appears around town backing up Pensacola's own Dr. Breeze.