His interests and studies in non-western instruments and musical traditions are a signature of his sound and technical style.

He attended Austin Central High School and holds a degree in Cultural Anthropology from the University of Minnesota.

He was the founder of two Twin Cities musical groups: Eight head and Speaking In Tongues.

In the early 1980s he met Sowah Mensah, a musician and teacher from Ghana, launching a friendship and new musical direction.

Anderson went on to study Ghanaian music with Mensah and with teachers in Ghana for many years.