I perform my original songs on guitar and piano with vocal. I have written over 350 songs. I have taught guitar, alto sax, and bass. I play guitar, piano, bass, harmonica, and alto sax.
Like millions of kids, my life changed in January 1964. Music became my passion the moment I first heard "I Want To Hold Your Hand" by the Beatles. I was hooked on the Beatles, and music, forever. I wore a Beatle’s wig and sang She Loves Me in the 4th grade with the Bedbugs on May 1, 1964, my first ‘gig’. My first instrument was the flutophone in 1964 (still have it), then the alto sax in 1966 (still have it too).
I taught myself guitar in 1971 (first song Day Tripper) on a J.C. Penny guitar (a Del Ray - yep, still have it). I taught myself piano (first song Color My World) in 1972. I learned to play bass in 1974 because bass players were harder to find than rhythm guitarists. I sat down with my Beatles albums and copied McCartney’s playing style. While learning guitar and piano, I taught myself music theory, which has helped me tremendously through the years.
While growing up, my main musical influence were the Beatles, both as a group and individually. My favorite Beatle was John Lennon. My favorite ex-Beatle is Paul McCartney. The Beatles by far have been my musical passion. Other musical influences have been Badfinger, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Billy Joel, the Beach Boys, Jim Croce and Chicago. Today I love Weezer, Nirvana, Green Day, Stone Temple Pilots, etc. My son listens to Alternative and Punk, while my daughters listen to Rap and R&B. I prefer Contemporary Christian these days, but I listen to most genres.
I started my semi-professional music career playing sax in a high school dance band. I played rhythm guitar in my first rock band at college. The bands had various names and lineups during school. My first post-college band was Music Machine. Various bands followed over the next several years, covering most genres of rock.
My main focus in music is the sound. I work hard to ensure vocals, harmonies, and the music are tight. I’ve always dissected music rather than just listening, so I work hard to ensure the sound is as good as possible.
Page Last Revised: August 16, 2007 10:17 PM