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My Bio...

Born: 'Jersey

I wanted to play drums but my Dad had a guitar, so…

I played guitar in my first 'battle of the bands' as a high school sophomore. We won second place!

My first club gig was at the age of 17, covering Doors, Stones, etc.

My first 'paid' recording session gig was playing guitar on one of those plastic records that came inside of MAD magazine. No s#;t!

...mixed sound for a while with a popular local band. They had awesome sound gear.

...played (guitar) rock and r&b in local bars in and around NJ/NY (EW&F, Steely Dan, T.O.P., Boz…).

I moved to Ft Lauderdale, FL around '77

...played rock and disco for a while

...then back to mixing; at a couple of really nice clubs (as house engineer). One club had a 14 piece house band with a string section!
...then played some more. ...on several recording sessions and lots of club dates there, in Florida.

I moved to Atlanta, GA in '79/'80.

...played some country, some rock and swing here. ...and sessions here as well.

Mixed FOH at the Agora Ballroom.

I decided to get some professional help... So, I moved to Boston, MA in '81 to attend the Berklee College of Music.

...worked as a bartender.

I graduated in '85. ...the major was 'Commercial Arranging for Large Ensemble'. I figured that this would help me to communicate with just about any instrumentalist on the planet. I think it worked out for me.

...and I didn’t play all that much while there. Writing consumed most of my time.

I did expand my understanding of improvosational theory though. ...and I was reading music pretty well by this time!

I moved to Seattle, WA in '85. I ended up living there for 9 or 10 years.

Going to music school was the best thing I could have done. I was immediately interfacing with music and musicians at a higher level, which led to gigs and sessions with more professional players. Directing and playing in a variety of bands, including a one year stint directing an 18 piece jazz band, lots of union gigs and recording sessions, production work, writing arrangements (for pay!), music publishing and teaching! ...a large, 40+ students per week, clientele through local colleges and music shops.

…back to the east coast around '94.

I’m not sure how it happened, but I ended up working as a software engineer for the next 12 years. I can only say that this gig was responsible for a couple of nice cars, a nice house, a few new guitars, and a 24 track recording rig with some nice mics and outboard gear.

So, I had been spending evenings and weekends in my home studio, recording my own stuff as well as bringing in other projects on occasion.

I am very much enjoying the digital 'age' in music technology.

Well, the software gig made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I sold the house up north and headed south to North Carolina around Christmas time of '06

I’m here, in a new house and new studio space, seeking a network of players, and to put down roots teaching, playing, producing, engineering, writing and collaborating with others in the area...
…and to not be a software engineer anymore!   ...and to stop moving around so much!

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