My first adventures in music started around age six when a door-to-door traveling accordion salesman came calling. Me being an avid Lawrence Welk fan made it the perfect fit. Never got Myron Floren's job, but I did start making money with that squeeze box fairly soon - church ground breaking ceremonies and such.

Thanks to the public school system in south Florida, I was lucky enough to have amazingly supportive band directors, giving me opportunies to try anything musical that came to mind. By graduation I was playing drums, french horn, trombone and trumpet as well as writing arrangements for the marching and jazz (stage) bands. I went from high school to playing six nights a week in some of the best night spots along Miami Beach. As a multi-instrumentalist and arranger, I worked steadily.

I moved to Minnesota in the mid 70's to join a band called Free and Easy. After hearing their vocals and horns, I had to be a part of something so special. I wasn't the only one who felt that way. A few years ago the band was inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame. We got the band back together for the induction concert and the magic was still there.

I draw from a wide range of musical experiences. I was a staff musician at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island one full summer playing trumpet, trombone, drums and piano. Most of one summer I played trumpet and did the horn arrangements at the Famous Door in New Orleans. With the music, the food and the atmosphere down there - how much better could things get?

 

                                      

While playing keyboards and brass for Hot Rod Chevy (Kevy) out of Sioux Falls, SD I played backing some of the legendary acts of the 50's-60's. Bo Diddley, Mitch Ryder, Little Eva, The Marvelettes, The Drifters, The Platters, Bobby Vinton and Tommy Roe, to name just a few. This band too has been inducted into the Iowa and North Dakoto music halls of fame. Also over the years, I've gotten to open for and share the stage with many other acts such as The James Gang, The Jackson Five, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and Buddy Rich.

I toured for several years in a musical version of "A Christmas Carol" produced by Troupe America out of Minneapolis, playing trombone, french horn and trumpets. I played five four-month-long national tours of vintage Broadway musicals produced by Windwood Productions out of New York on trombone, baritone, french horn and trumpet. In addition I did some extensive arranging.

Eventually, I got back to school in Mankato, MN at what was then Mankato State University. I played brass and percussion in many university pit orchestras and community theater presentations. I played the accordion (and acted) in two productions of "Old Man Brunner Country" produced by the Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview, MN. It always circles backs to the accordion.

 

Although I consider trombone my principal instrument, I have an undergraduate degree in trumpet performance and a masters in composition. I composed and arranged for ensembles of many different instrumental combinations and genres. Aside from the obvious jazz band and combo writing, I set several poems of Emily Dickinson to music for productions of "The Belle of Amherst." As adjunct faculty I created and taught classes.

Recently having moved to Santa Fe, NM, I'm gearing up for my latest project, an idea I had fresh out of high school - four trombones over a grooving rhythm section playing instrumental funk. Too bad Bonerama beat me to it - better late than never. I have a book full of original material ready to go for my back yard studio.

 

Other things I've been working on? So far I've completed fourteen Christmas carols and tunes for eight unaccompanied trumpets. A friend complained there were tuba Christmas concerts but none by tumpets. I've done my part to remedy that problem and now just need to find seven or more tooters to get out there next hoiday season and raise the roof. I've written an all brass ensemble fanfare as well as several brass trios. You can never have too much brass music.