T.J. Clarke, was born Thomas Joseph Clarke on May 26, 1975, in Victoria, B.C., Canada, to Glenn and Lucienne Clarke. A year later, in 1976, the Clarke family moved to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. To this day, there have been no brothers or sisters born into T.J.'s family. T.J. attended Saint Charles elementary, Holy Name elementary, and Madeleine D'Houet Junior High neighborhood schools, where he became fluent in both French and English languages. His high school years were spent at Saint Mary's High School, where he continued to practice French, and went on to graduate with an advanced bilingual diploma.
T.J.'s musical teachings have a history nearly as long as his own. At age 6, he began playing the accordion, but soon afterward, his interest in the guitar led him to give up the accordion and begin lessons in bluegrass guitar music. At 7 years old, after a brief experience with bluegrass, T.J. went on to take classical guitar lessons under the instruction of well-known Canadian guitarist and entertainer Karen Crowe, whose expert classical technique greatly influenced the aspiring young musician. For several years, T.J. practiced classical guitar until his early teens, when he decided to focus on rock music. Continuing under the teachings of Karen Crowe, he discovered his true love in the art of electric rock guitar. T.J. continued lessons until high school, where he formed a loose musical group with some classmates. The team played various songs, but never got too serious due to time-consuming schoolwork. Graduating from Saint Mary's High School in 1993, T.J. went on to attend the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (S.A.I.T) to pursue training in mechanics. Devoting all his time to school, he halted most of his involvement with music. Casual jams with other musicians were common, but the lack of time just did not permit any serious devotion.
After graduating from S.A.I.T. in early 1996, T.J. talked seriously over the summer with close friends Brad Cronk and Nathan Segstro about forming a musical ensemble. Shortly afterward, in October, 1996, T.J. and Brad got together and formed Optimal Impact, with TJ on lead guitar, Alex Chernish on rhythm guitar, Brad on bass, Nathan Segstro on Vocals, and Neil LaFrance on drums. T.J. is absolutely loyal to the group, and will go to all lengths to ensure Optimal Impact succeeds in its goal to entertain people far and near.