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I joined the school band in 1961, playing baritone (euphonium) and then switched to tuba, which I played all through high school and also in college.
I began playing guitar in 1964. I formed my first combo and joined the Musician's Union in 1965, and played my first professional gig on September 25, 1965. I have, for the most part, been a Union musician and am currently a member of Local 325, San Diego. During this period, I studied with Johnny Adams, a popular USO guitarist, where I learned chord solo style playing, jazz improvisation and fills.
I taught private guitar lessons part-time and full-time from 1968 to 1978. During this time I also attended college and received a music education degree from Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, PA in 1972, and also attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1973. My teachers at college included Maurice White, classical guitar, and Ed McGuire, a popular jazz guitarist who has written books for Mel Bay publications. During this time I also worked a heavy schedule of nightclub appearances, including a full-time tour in 1974-1975.
I currently hold a Doctor of Divinity degree and an honorary PhD.
I moved to San Diego area in 1978 where I worked as an assistant manager for Guitar Center 1979-1980 and as Division Manager of Therle Music from 1982 until they closed in 1986. I then entered the music wholesale field, working for Pennino Music and covering the territory from San Clemente to San Diego to Yuma.
In 1988, I began working part-time for the San Diego Community College District. After 18 years with SDCCD, I am now a full-time tenured professor. Although I began as a music teacher, I am now teaching Business Information Technology. I also work part-time for Grossmont College as a Business Office Technology instructor and also as a Learning & Resource Technology instructor, and have done so since 1995.
During this time, I continued to play with a variety of San Diego bands, sometimes as often as five days per week. I have had the opportunity to work with many well-known entertainers such as Lou Christe, the Outsiders, the Brass Tacks, Johnny Lee, Mickey Gilley, Johnny West, California, Tiffany and others, either as an opening act or as a sideman.
Although I played a variety of styles, I managed to win the San Diego Country Music Association "Entertainer of the Year" award in 1983, as well as awards for "Most Versatile" and "Best Band."
I recently worked with three San Diego bands: "Phase 4" features 60's & 70's rock and features strong vocal harmony. "Missing Oldies Band" plays standards, blues, country and swing. "Prime Time" consists of a female vocalist, her husband on bass and myself on guitar (plus a drum machine). This gave me the opportunity to reach out with my guitar playing and fill in a lot of holes. Prime Time was one of the most popular small dance combos in the San Diego area, and played engagements all over the county.
I am currently working as a single, singing folk, bluegrass, old-time and gospel songs with acoustic guitar accompaniment. As of December 2009, I have joined the contemporary Christian Gospel group "Rightside" (formerly known as the "Gospel Review Vocal Band"). This is an exciting band that has been around for 10 years and is currently expanding to include me on lead guitar as well as an additional vocalist, bringing the lineup up to 9 members. The group features 4 part vocal harmony as well as a driving country rock/jazz ensemble of musicians and, in my estimation, compares favorably with some of the top talent currently on tour from the Nashville area.
Also, I am available to play acoustic or electric guitar with bands for dance or concert shows, or as a session musician and/or arranger on recording projects
I have recently released two CDs on the independent Audio Barn label. "Lucky 21" contains 21 musical arrangements, both vocal and instrumental, from a variety of musical styles including jazz, smooth jazz, folk, folk rock, blues, classic rock, country, western and bluegrass. "Christmas In The Appalachians" contains popular vocal and instrumental Christmas songs in both traditional and jazz styles. My third CD, "Still Folkin' Around," will contain my arrangements of popular `60's folk songs. I am also working on a new CD containing mostly original songs as well as a few of my own arrangements, and I would also like to record a jazz/smooth jazz CD in the near future.
In addition to my own projects, I have just finished recording a new CD with "Rightside" which should be available May 2010. The CD, titled "Living on the Rightside," will contain ten country gospel rock tunes. Check the band's website "Rightside" for ordering information after the CD is released.
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