About Me
A Little Early History
A Little Early History
A Little Early History
I started taking piano lessons from my Grandfather (on my father's side) when I was six. In those days, before you were allowed to play a note you had to learn some basic music theory. Not too thrilling for a six year old. So, after two years I convinced my dad, who was the solo clarinetist in the United States Air Force Band stationed ou
I started taking piano lessons from my Grandfather (on my father's side) when I was six. In those days, before you were allowed to play a note you had to learn some basic music theory. Not too thrilling for a six year old. So, after two years I convinced my dad, who was the solo clarinetist in the United States Air Force Band stationed out of Bolling AFB in Washington DC, to let me switch instruments. It was decided I would take up the trumpet. Back in those days things were decided for you. That decision led to some wonderful musical experiences throughout my career, although I did land on the other side of the glass. After a couple of years of college studying trumpet with Larry Skinner and music theory and composition with Dr David Ward I thought I was a pretty good player/musician and decided to move to Los Angeles and launch my career. My uncle, Mitch Gordon, was a successful studio/background singer in LA and helped me get started. He took me to various sessions he was on at the biggest studios in town (Gold Star, United Western, Devonshire, The Village, Conway...) and I knew I had made the right move. I was lucky enough to land a job as a gofer at Producers Music Service in Hollywood. They were one of the busiest jingle shops in town, with a multi track recording studio, owned by John Bahler and Tony Asher. In those days there were no "recording studio schools". You had to start at the bottom and hopefully work your way up. John was the sound of The Partridge Family, a successful background singer and married to Janet Lennon. Tony was a former adman and the co-writer/lyricist on the Beach Boys Pet Sounds album. It wasn't long before I was placing microphones in front of the top session players in LA including Jerry Hey, Chuck Findly and Gary Grant who were the top three trumpet players in LA. They did 80% of the trumpet work in town. I realized that there was no way to compete with these caliber of players so I decided to pursue the audio engineering aspect of the industry. Hence, the other side of the glass.
My Days In LA
A Little Early History
A Little Early History
1978 was a great time to be hanging around a busy music production company/recording studio in a major market like Los Angeles and Producers Music Service was one of the busiest. They were doing national spots (commercials) on an almost daily basis. I was encouraged to go down to the Musicians Union Local 49 and get my card, which I did a
1978 was a great time to be hanging around a busy music production company/recording studio in a major market like Los Angeles and Producers Music Service was one of the busiest. They were doing national spots (commercials) on an almost daily basis. I was encouraged to go down to the Musicians Union Local 49 and get my card, which I did and soon John was having me play fourth trumpet parts on sessions with the best horn section in town. Being a sideman on a union date for a national commercial was a gift that kept on giving. Although my tenure at producers Music Service only lasted a couple of years I learned a lot and made some great contacts. One of those being Randy Waldman who was a first call session player and at the time George Benson's piano player and musical director. Randy had an eight track studio in his house in North Hollywood. Actually the whole house was a studio and I went to work for him after leaving Asher and Bahler. Randy wrote tunes and arranged songs for singers and song writers and we did the demos in his home studio. Back in those days there weren't many "home studios" and Randy's was one of the first. Everyone Randy got to play on these "demos" were also first call guys. On any given day I'd be pushing buttons on sessions with Vinny Calaiuta, Greg Bissonette, Nathan East, Neil Stubenhaus, Alex Acuna, Jeremy Lubbock and cutting vocals with Phil Perry, Pauline Wilson and even Andy Gibb. Needless to say working with this kind of talent was an incredible experience. As all good things come to an end I hooked up with a guy named Bob Schreiner at Westworld Recorders in the San Fernando valley. Bob was a genius electrical engineer who built most of the electronics in the studio including the console. The studio sounded great and drew in some incredible projects including records, film and a lot of Persian music. This is where I really developed my engineering chops and eventually arranging and production as well. I got my first digital music sequencing computer, an IBM 8086 AT in 1983 and set it up in my dining room. Clients would come to my house, play multiple parts into the sequencer and I'd take the entire setup, tower, CRT monitor, keyboard and mouse to the studio and dump the individual parts to tape through a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer using FSK sync. I spent about five years there before branching out on my own and working at various world class rooms around LA.
The Move Back East
A Little Early History
The Move Back East
One day in 1990 I came to the realization that my life needed a new direction. I loved the studio life but I had to be honest with myself. I was stuck at a level where I was making a living but the chances of becoming an elite engineer with that one big project that puts you over the top seemed to be eluding me. I didn't own a home, had
One day in 1990 I came to the realization that my life needed a new direction. I loved the studio life but I had to be honest with myself. I was stuck at a level where I was making a living but the chances of becoming an elite engineer with that one big project that puts you over the top seemed to be eluding me. I didn't own a home, had no retirement and didn't even have health insurance. I was 34 years old. I made the decision to move back east.
A good friend of my father from the Air Force Band and a former trumpet teacher of mine happened to know someone who worked at the Voice of America which was the broadcasting arm of what was then the U.S. Information Agency, now the International Broadcasting Bureau. I filled out a FS 171 which was the application for federal employment and hand delivered it to this guy at an Italian restaurant in Bowie, Maryland. He read through my resume as we talked and two hours later he said "let me get this to someone I know". That someone was the Director of Broadcast Operations. A week later I was a federal employee pushing buttons and twisting knobs in a radio broadcast studio. Thank you Frank Sorentino!
VOA had a recording studio, a radio on TV studio with a six camera switcher for live on air performances and a 500 seat auditorium all of which were quite busy. There were a number of music shows that were either prerecorded or produced live in the studios and a number of outside agencies using the auditorium that needed audio/video support. My recording background made me a perfect fit in these areas. I was back doing what I loved and collecting a steady paycheck with benefits.
I was very fortunate to be afforded a second career and was able to retire after twenty five years of service. I built a small recording studio/production suite in the home I share with my wife Cindy in southern Maryland and started writing, producing and recording my own music once again. My dream has become my passion and that is what I hope to share through this site. All of the music and video within these pages I have had a hand in creating and I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with so many talented artists. Please check out some of my recordings, original music and videos and if you are interested in any form of musical collaboration or have questions concerning my recording process hit me up on the contact page. Thanks for checking out the site!