About Me

  
  I spent my early years growing up in Martinez California. There I started out in the 3rd grade playing song flute like most of you. Somehow I was selected early to play clarinet in the 4th grade. I wasn't crazy about the clarinet so I switched to alto saxophone. Through out grammar school and junior high I played the sax in concert and jazz band. Doing this gave me a solid understanding about reading and melody. I started keeping my eyes on the drummers around me. My desire to switch to drums grew and a passion was birthed. My music teacher (Larry Miller from Alhambra High) wouldn't let me my freshman year but then pulled me aside in the 10th grade to raise me up. He told me, "bass on 1 & 3, high hat on 2 & 4, Your swing pattern goes like this. " Two weeks later I was playing in a jazz festival. Divine intervention? I believe so. I never looked back. Jazz band, marching and concert band was a valuable and an enriching experience that I cherish.

Out of high school I played in bands that played in most California North, East and South bay clubs. I settled in San Jose in 1984. My career in electronics actually brought me here. Around 1987, I started developing a teaching plan. In the South Bay, I hooked up with many Christian groups and did many recordings. Shortly after that, word got around that I was a drummer that could be depended on. Ironically, I started teaching because I began getting too many calls and I felt a need to raise up more drummers. I worked in Field Service Engineering until 2002 but then got laid off. I gave up the electronics field to pursue full time teaching and playing. Today I am teach approx 60 students per month and have influenced over 200 drummers. I am now independent in Milpitas teaching from home. Currently, I am playing with Scion, a pop jazz group in the San Jose area.