Updated 7/26/01 11:45:25 AM

I have been playing drums on and off since about 1988. I started on by brother’s monster 11-piece Neil Peart wannabe set, without all of the bells, chimes, wood blocks and gongs. He taught me a few things here and there but otherwise I am self-taught. In High School I used to jam with my friend Jon all of the time in the room with the cave (it’s an inside thing). We went on to form the Yellow Teenage Mutant Gerbil Band, with Danny on bass and Nick on Vocals, I actually replaced Mike the original drummer because I sucked less. We spent a lot of time at the now defunct Flip Side Studios in Levittown. All of our practice paid off, we performed at such illustrious venues as the Walton House, Nick’s block party and, well that’s it. Pretty good huh?

Jon and I went our separate ways in senior year and I played in a band called Raptured Foreground for our senior variety show, my first real big gig, in front of 700 people. We played Crazy Train by Ozzy and Rock n’ Roll by Led Zep. The music was alright and the singing was f*%@ing horrendous. For some reason I watch the tape every now and then, it’s kind of like drinking orange juice after you brush your teeth, you know it is going to be horrible but you do it anyway.

I went away to college, SUNY Albany, so I couldn’t take my drums so I started messing around with the guitar. I bought my first guitar, an ovation acoustic in 1993. (My first stringed instrument was really a bass guitar my brother gave me for Christmas in 1991) I have pretty much played the guitar since then, but I am self-taught on that too, with the help of guitar player magazine of course. Love those tabs!

I returned to Long Island in 1995 after finishing college. I played the drum a bit here and there for the next year. Then I moved to Georgia in 1996 and left the drums behind again. I then began my small collection of guitars. During my 4 years in Georgia I purchased an Ibanez electric guitar, a Yamaha classical guitar and a Gibson 12 string guitar and I still can’t play a lead.

I moved back to NY in the summer of 2000. I started jamming with Jon again, and another John (McP), whom I went to High School with. Initially I wanted to play rhythm guitar (remember I can’t play leads) but I was relegated to the drums by default. We have been playing together for about 8 months now and it has been truly fun for me. We put together a 7 song CD titled “Seven Songs” . We have made it to the semi-finals of the Long Island Music Festival on August 3rd at Molly Blooms in Smithtown. Hope to see you there.

Below is a list of my favorite drum songs in no particular order. This list is in no way meant to imply that I can play all of these songs!!

Drummer	Band	Song
Neil Peart	Rush	La Villa Strangiato, Subdivisions
John Bonham	Led Zeppelin	The Ocean
Simon Phillips	801, Jeff Beck	East of Asteriod, Space Boogey
William Calhoun	Living Colour	Lonely Hearts, Cult of Personality
Rod Morgenstein	Assebly Line	Dixie Dreggs
Jerry Gaskill	Pillow	King's X

Oh Yeah, If you ever want to buy me a beer, this is what I drink:

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