Bio

I was born and raised in Green Township New Jersey. I developed a musical interest at a young age starting with piano lessons in 3rd and 4th grade. I later picked the guitar up in 6th grade and have never put it down since. Through high school I was busy with sports and academics and later went on to Rutgers the State University of New Jersey to pursue a career in Mechanical Engineering. After college I went to work as a cost analyst for the Department of the Navy Air Division in Washington DC. After a few of years of cost analysis, I felt that I wasn't able to get to my musical studies. I enrolled into Berklee, The College of Music, in Boston, MA for 2 semesters where I was able to gain the musical theory I was looking for and since have been studying and teaching.

My musical interests are of the Blues Rock genre. At a young age my ears caught on to the oldies station my father would listen to WCBS FM. From Doo Wop to Elvis, Beach Boys, Beatles and and Stones I absorbed all of it. At around 3rd grade I developed my own personal interest in early AC/DC. From there I listened to the New Wave and '80's pop that would be on Casey Casen's top 40 countdown. In 8th grade and on through high school I dove back into hard rock and began an appreciation for Def Leppard, Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd and U2. Then on to college were it was the sounds of the sixties specifically Janis Joplin and the Doors and in the same vein Edie Brickell. Then I started to listen to the words and it was all Mellencamp, Neil Young and Springsteen, Springsteen, Springsteen. At this time I started to learn how to sing and play and blow through a harmonica. Concurrently came Grunge and for me that was Nirvana. I would consider these my formative years and in them I don't want to neglect Tom Petty, The Police, The Who, The Clash, and Tori Amos.

Through my young professional life I gained an appreciation for the musical styling of The Dave Mathews Band and Ryan Adams. Since this time pop and rock music has become very derivative for me. Although I do keep an ear out for the many talented artists out there, I've used this time to really hone in on my earlier influences and dig deeper into their influences. This would be the Delta, Country, Ragtime, Rockabilly and Western Swing guitar of Clapton, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Robert Cray, Johnny Winter, Freddie King, Albert King, Albert Collins, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Lightnin' Hopkins, T. Bone Walker, John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Brian Setzer, Cliff Gallup, Charlie Moore, Chet Atkins, Merle Travis, Hank Garland, Roy Nichols, Don Rich, Mississippi John Hurt, Rev. Gary Davis, Big Bill Broonzy, Robert Johnson, Son House and all the ones in between. On a personal level I have what I call the three B's: Bill Kirchen, Ben Andrews and Billy Hector. Three guitarists that I have met personally that really encapsulate all the above.

Through the years I have also worked in various cover and original bands. I have also gained a good understanding of guitars and amplifiers and there repair and maintenance.