At around age 10 I felt the call of the drum from deep inside my soul and from that moment on I was hooked for life. I was influenced by my uncle Bob Weir, who is a drummer. I started playing drums on an old beat up 1960’s Ludwig blue sparkle drum kit donated by my neighbor. I taught myself drumming by playing to my favorite records and tapes. I started playing along to alternative music of the 1990’s with bands like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pear Jam and Jane’s Addiction. Jimmy Chamberlin from the Smashing Pumpkins is by far my biggest influence. I then began grooving to classic rock to bands like The Police, The Beatles, Cream, the Doors and Led Zeppelin. Then I found the wonderful world of Jazz where drummers like Joe Jones, Art Blaky, Buddy Rich and Gene Krupa blew my mind. Then I became heavily influenced by world music coming from Real World Records, founded by Peter Gabriel.
I studied and performed in the Salsa, Balinese Gamelan, and the West African music ensembles at Florida State University.
Over the past 30 years I have performed with many talented musicians in a variety of bands with styles ranging across the musical spectrum.
I’m currently recording and performing with singer songwriter Thomas Wade Jackson.
I have been performing on
the African Tongue Drum
or Slit Box for over 20 years.
I have performed countless
times throughout America
and during my travels through
South America, Europe
and as far as Iran.
“The Tongue Drum is one of the world’s oldest known instruments and has been used for thousands of years by various cultures all over the world. Tongue drums were used in story-telling, ceremonies, celebrations, war dances, and for communicating over long distances.
