I started on trumpet when I was 10 years old while my father was stationed in Berlin Germany. I moved to California in 1980. While in high school I was in marching band were I would play tuba, and in the jazz band I would play trumpet.

In 1985 went to Chabot College for music for about 3 years but do to lack of money had to drop out. Around 1989 to 2005 became interested in Renaissance faires. While at a fair, I was given a heralds trumpet and encouraged to play fanfares for the royal procession. It was also due to Fair that I developed a fascination for old music.

California proved to be expensive so I moved here to Tucson AZ.in June of 2005. After checking on the web I found that Tucson had a civil war brass band known as The Old Arizona Brass Band. The downside at the time was they are a cornet band, so I had to borrow a cornet.

It was then I discovered that I should have been a cornetist as the cornet was easier for me to play and matched the sound I had been hearing in my head when I played trumpet. So as a result of this "sound concept" me and my trumpet would fight, but with cornet there is no fighting.

I was invited to join The Old Pueblo Brass Band by Dan Molter, who also plays with the Old Arizona. While in the Old Pueblo I bought an Eb cornet and after lots of practicing I was able to move to the Eb cornet position in both bands.

Oh and to do a bit of bragging. I own: Eb Cornet made by Hawks & son circa 1912, an Eb Side Action Rotary Bugle patterned after a civil war original Amati valveless trumpet in Eb, also an Bb Zeus Cornet Bb/C Heralds trumpet King valveless in G/F.