I started playing drums at the age of 14. Like a lot of other kids in the suburbs of Chicago, I was learning Rock beats in the back of a mom & pop music store. Fortunately, my teacher turned me on to Jazz music and the Jazz Showcase in downtown Chicago. Soon after my introduction to Jazz music, I became serious about drumming and started studying orchestral percussion to prepare myself for studies at Northern Illinois University where I received a Bachelor of Music.

I drove into Oakland California in 1998, and have enjoyed living in the Bay Area ever since. Some of the musicians whom I've had the pleasure to play with include: Cody Anderson, Brenda Boykin, Jamie Brewer, Gary Brown, Bob Brumbelow, Steve Carter, Todd Dickow, Ben Flint, Gerry Grosz, Kevin Gerzevitz, Daniel Heffez, Ken Husbands, Henry Hung, Art Khu, Mark Levine, Kai Lyons, Damien Masterson, Ian McArdle, Jason Muscat, Tony Peebles, Don Seaver, Adam Shulman, Suzanna Smith, Mary Spalding and Yancy Taylor.



 

Steel Drums

After a 16 year absence from steel drum playing I returned to the instrument in 2009. I was fortunate enough to connect with a local band named Steel Jam through a friend from N.I.U. After a couple years of gigging, I decided to travel to Trinidad and witness some of the best steel drum bands in the world compete in the annual steel band competition Panorama. Here are some photos from that trip.