~~~ MUSICAL HISTORY ~~~

• The PUBLIC RECITAL years (1952-1964)
• Began playing piano at age 5 (wanted to play guitar like Gene Autry, but we had a piano!)
• Took classical piano lessons for eight years and pop (stride style) lessons for two years
• Active in piano competitions (right); played national anthem and school song at all Jr.Hi assemblies
• Took drum lessons for two years - loved the simplicity compared to the piano

• The PRIVATE years (1965-1985)
• Didn't play anything for three years, then I'd play piano only when I was alone
• Finally learned to strum guitar chords well enough for folk song singalongs
• Got a Hohner Clavinova in 1974 - loved it because I could play through headphones

• The MIDI years (1985-2007)
• First composed via sequencer in 1985 - really loved it because I could edit out performance mistakes
• Started accumulating equipment for a home MIDI studio (original hutch shown right) and created Cheap Trills as my "recording label"
• Was honored by having Faux Glass (my minimalist tribute to Philip Glass) included in the 2nd NEMUS (Northwest Electronic Musicians) compilation tape
• My "greatest hits" include Taco Bell's Cannon (click the link if it didn't play automatically when you opened this page) which was loosely based on Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, Dark Blue Skies (minor key cover of Blue Skies), Requiem for South Africa (the first of my imaginary movie themes), and the two love songs I wrote to my wife - Pamela (instrumental version here) and Not on One Knee, the song via which I proposed.  
   
• The OLD FART GOES RETRO (2007-present)
• Became enamored with "Old Timey" and bottleneck Delta Blues guitar music (as demonstrated in the linked home vieeo by Keni Lee Burgess)
• Commissioned Bluesboy JAG to build an electric 3-string guitar for me using a Padron wooden cigar box, one of his hand-wound magnetic pickups, and traditional toothpick frets (right and below)
• Replaced the original strings with Ernie Ball nickel wound .036", .026", and .017" strings from a set that would have been the A, D, and G strings on a normal 6-string electric guitar (my open tuning is A, E, and an octave higher A)
• Slowly learning slide style (e.g., If I Had Possession over Judgment Day by Robert Johnson)
• Began construction of several cigar box guitars of my own design

~~~ FAVORITE COMPOSERS ~~~