I was born in Brooklyn while my dad was the drum department manager of Sam Ash music stores in NY.  He eventually became the store manager of the Hempstead Long Island store when I was about 5 yrs. old, so the family relocated to North Massapequa NY. Dad was also a club-date drummer and was the leader of his own wedding band. Having drums around the house and dad being a working musician was pretty cool. He started to take me to

gigs at around 9 yrs old where I would just sit in a chair off to the side or back stage and just watch. I started becoming more interested in drumming while copying my dad and everything else that was interesting to my ear, I discovered this exhilarating feeling of excitement that I just could not explain. 

Whether I was good at it or not I just wanted to play. As time went by dad eventually thought I was good enough to sit in on a tune with the band. Fast forward some months I would be up there getting near the end of a tune and I would get the signal to "stay up there!" ( His band was very forgiving.) One tune eventually lead to many tunes and later on I was a regular in the band as my dad would front / MC the band and just let me play the whole gig. (He did enjoy being up front.) It was an early education.  A drumming school that one rarely ever gets to experience in a lifetime.  For the next couple of decades I learned to Swing, the Mambo, Cha Cha, Tango, Motown, Rhumba, Bolero, Polka, Horah, different Rock styles, Bossa Nova, Tarantella, Pop, Disco, Funk, Soul and so on...At 18 I attend 5 Towns College with a major in Drums as this was when I really discovered the importance of learning to be not just a good drummer but most important a good musician. 30 yrs of weddings, numerous recordings, flurries of tribute, lounge and dance bands, I'm always thankful to still have the chance  to make some good music with some great people..