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I started drumming at age 7, when I turned my TinkerToy set into a high-tech rhythm machine. Forty-five years later, my love of rhythm continues.
Born to a musical family ,my brother Tim and I (twins, obviously) were influenced by our father, Vince, who had a successful dance band. Tim took up trumpet, which he changed to guitar in junior high. I continued playing drums, completing the circle by playing in my father’s band for when I started in college. With my brother, my skills included blues, rock, and country. My fathers’ band played American Popular Song. On my own, I loved Art Rock, and – since I couldn’t find a band that could keep up, I satisfied myself by using Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull, among others, as my practice bands.
Tim and I formed our first garage band in 1974, along with our cousin Bruce on bass. We called the band Kaus, and it had a brief but brilliant run. After some unsuccessful bands with high school friends I joined the Tom Serabian Band for its Maine tour. The gig with the Vince Howie Band followed.
After a five-year hiatus to get a filmmaking degree, I returned to the kit with a new attitude, and new knowledge and understanding. This led to many gigs over the intervening years, including national tours, and a tour of France (go to Paris…. ). Many diverse styles were covered, including classic rock with EZ Roads, original alternative rock with The Change, country in BeezWax and So They Say, top-forty rock in Doctor X, jazz with Toye and Robin James, alternative covers and originals with Pull, progressive rock and originals in The Rock Brigade, basic blues and rock standards with Geezer, Modern Rock with X-nelo and Serebro, originals with Catherine Howie (love of my life), covers and originals with various Christian bands, latino percussion with Ritmo-D, and many, many in-the-rounds and open mic nights.
Various recording projects reared their heads over the years. Demos to full albums. Instrumentation covered the gamut: percussion, drums, and even the odd bass track!
I am continually striving to augment my playing with studies in jazz and ethnic percussion. My musical influences are diverse: bands and musicians like Yes, Gentle Giant, Blood, Sweat, & Tears, Larry Norman, Tony Bennett, Alice in Chains, Steely Dan, Bavid Bowie, Vangelis…. players like Bill Bruford, Alan White, Alex Van Halen, Joe Morello, Terry Bozio, Simon Phillips, Max Roach….
I live in the Indianapolis area, and I am available for studio work, project sessions, and local gigs. Contact me at [email protected]