I was born in a small town at the foothills of the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania. I started playing
drums in the school band in the fifth grade and continued all the way through high school staying
involved in every possible situation I could from concert band and marching band to jazz band.
Through that whole experience I learned the essentials of reading music and rudiments. My father is
also a musician who did it professionally for 30 years. Occasionally he would impart his great
wisdom concerning the music profession. My brother Aaron and I never listened and both grew up to
be musicians. His biggest mistake was letting both of us sit in with his band on gigs from time to
time. For me that was all it took to get hooked on performing. When I wasn't playing I would just sit
and watch the drummer, trying to absorb as much as I could.
After high school I enlisted in the Army and attended The Armed Forces School of Music in
Littlecreek, VA. which was by far the most challenging formal training I'd had up to that point, but
inspiring nonetheless. In the Army Band I was exposed to a lot of great musicians who were into a lot
of different kinds of music. It was during this time that I developed a deep love for jazz. A couple of
highlights of my military band career were being given the opportunity to perform in Germany for three
weeks as well as playing for President Bush (George H.). After the army, I attended Mansfield
University in Mansfield PA., where I received a BA in Music.
I got into teaching in 1994 when I got hired as a percussion staff member at a high school in
northeastern PA, teaching both outdoor and indoor marching percussion. I guess you can say I teach
in the manner in which I learned. I start beginning students with reading, rudiments and basic
technique before moving onto the drumset. Even after students begin drumset studies I still require
them to practice snare drum literature. I feel that any vocabulary you learn with your hands on the
snare can be easily translated onto the drumset.
I relocated from Northeastern PA to Atlanta in 1996. Since that time I've kept busy playing and
recording with various local bands and singer/songwriters around metro Atlanta. I was a member of
an original rock band called Acres for a few years with whom I recorded two CDs, as well as being a
regular at Northpoint Community Church for three years where I played drums and occasionally
percussion.
I currently teach privately at Attina's Music Store, Inc. in Fayetteville, GA (since 2000), work as a
freelance drummer in metro Atlanta, playing everything from rock to jazz, do some occasional
session work, and lead J.C. and the Sonshine Band, a youth praise band at Prince of Peace
Lutheran Church in Fayetteville. I have written a couple articles for Modern Drummer magazine and
am currently writing a book series on beginning to intermediate drumset.
Did I mention I married my high school sweetheart and we have two beautiful daughters?
