I prefer not to eat before a concert, but I usually cook for my wife Aegina.
what is your favorite or funniest experience in performance?
While on tour in Japan with the Empire Brass Quintet, part of our luggage was misplaced. This left us without the bottom half of our tuxedos! The show must go on, so we proceeded to play the next concert in tuxedo tails, gym shorts, and sneakers.
what is the most exotic location you've played?
Nagano, Japan, which was the future Olympic site at the time.
if you weren't a musician, what would you be?
If I hadn't gone to Mansfield University for Music Education, I probably would have attended WACC (now Penn College) to be a heavy equipment operator. I have always had a fascination for machinery and motorized gadgets. I grew up working on farms and learned to drive on an old John Deere "B" farm tractor.
what made you decide on the instrument you play in the wso?
I love playing timpani because it is a very musical, expressive percussion instrument that provides the rhythmic foundation for the orchestra.
what is the nicest thing an orchestra has ever done for you?
The WSO featured me as a soloist performing Concerto for Timpani and Orchestra, Op. 34, by Werner Tharichen.
how do you like to communicate with audiences?
In the classical setting, I communicate with the audience by expressing the emotion of the music with the entire orchestra. In a jazz or pop setting, there is more eye contact and physical expression between the audience and performers.
what is your impression of the music industry?
The music industry is always evolving to meet the needs of the consumer. Orchestras are constantly exploring new ways to expand and please their audiences. As performers, we are challenged with new music compositions and styles. Every season is different and fresh.
any interesting hobbies or pets you'd like us to know about?
Activities I enjoy include traveling, camping, cooking, motorcycling, and biking.
favorite desserts or drinks?
Cherry pie and red wine... not necessarily together!
