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From the beginning ...
It began with instruction in elementary school in the 60's. I continued on in Junior and Senior high school in Frederick, MD. From 9th grade was accomplished to reach All County, Western Maryland Regional Honors Band and Maryland State Band as a full rounded percussionist.
At the same time, I was also a hired performer in churches and community for holidays during the same school years.
Under the direction of Band Director John Slezak and Drum Instructor Dick Janes from the Baltimore Yankee Rebels, I excelled in marching DCI & DCA Corps. Also, with a schoolmate, Scott Ambush - now bassist with the world famous jazz group Spyro-Gyra, we performed with the high school jazz band.
While a Junior in high school, I was hired by a local country band and continued with them for a year while still performing with school, church and community.
After a brief time with the Army, I again went to playing with a couple of local groups. One excelled and began to tour. We toured mostly the East Coast with much happening. The band BTE became well known and had celebrity sit-ins and performances with such people as: Charlie Pride, Kenny Rogers, Ronnie Dove, Ronnie Milsap, Jimmy Hodge, Ricky Scaggs, and others; either as an opening act or as the band behind the Artist. As the band grew, it pulled in Mike Farren on bass guitar from Bob Segar Silver Bullet Band. We ended touring in 1987.
My next musical step came when I met Jeff Bunn - Bass player from Parliament / P-Funk All Stars. We formed together with Todd Manley - guitarist from Firehouse and Keith Wallace, who has recorded keyboards with The Temptations, Janet Jackson, and others. We were named The Earthtones. From time to time we would pull in other players like Frank Cates (DCI lead soprano, trumpet with Ellis Marsalis, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Temptations, etc.), Calvin Farmer (Tenor and Alto Saxophone - Chuck Berry, Duke Ellington Orchestra). We recorded a six song CD in a Flamenco/Latin style. While working with these guys, I would contract with up to 5 bands for live performances.
One in particular was the band The Headstone Circus. They were another group of fine talent. We did a lot of openers for The Dave Mathews Band on an east coast college tour.
From March of 1997 until April 2000, I ran an Open Mic Blues Night at Dogtown Lounge in Richmond, VA every Sunday night. Musicians from New York to Florida would come and perform on a regular basis making it one of the most sought after shows in Richmond, VA and possibly the east coast.
Along with the Mic Night show, I was doing tour dates with a casino band named Private I'z. And that brought me to the Speaking Rock Casino in El Paso, TX on a two week show during the Millennium New Year Celebration. We performed with The Village People.
I have since moved to El Paso, have become active in the music community, perform with local groups like Dr. Groove, Fuego Latino, a member of The Friends of Jazz Society, a music student at UTEP, performing with UTEP's Marching Miners, Jazz 2 group, Pandemonium Steel Drum Group, Percussion Ensemble, Orchestra and UTEP PEP Band.
Performed with these Artists
Roy Carter -Accordion - Zydeco Recording Artist
Big Jack Johnson - Blues Guitarist of the Year - 1998 Down Beat Polls
Steve Winwood - Rock n Roll
Bobby Messano - Lead guitarist for Steve Winwood
Tom Larsen - Blues / Funk Recording Artist
Mel Melton & the Wicked Mojos - Blues Recording Artist
Winds of Change
Earthtones - Independent Label Artists
Ronnie Dove - Nashville Recording Artist
Ronnie Milsap - Nashville Recording Artist
Kenny Rogers - Nashville Recording Artist
Charlie Pride - Nashville Recording Artist
Jeff Bunn - Bass Player for Parliament / P-Funk All-stars
Todd Manley - Guitar - Firehouse
Keith Wallace - Keyboards - Major Artists
Ronnie Younkins - Rock n Roll group Kix
Scott Ambush - GRP Recording Artist - Spyro Gyra
Jimmy Hodge - Nashville Recording Artist
Ricky Scaggs - Nashville Recording Artist
Joe E. Brown - Bass - Nashville Recording Artist - Hank Williams, Jr.
Nevada Hart - Guitar - Nashville Recording Artist - Hank Williams, Jr.
Calvin Farmer - Saxophone-Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, others
Frank Cates - Trumpet-Duke Ellington Orchestra, Temptations, DCI-Boston Crusaders, Blue Devils, others
Eileen Edmonds - Independent World/Folk Recording Artist
The Village People - 70's & 80's Disco Recording Group
Willie Kahn - Guitarist for Lynard Skynard
Associations and Clinic Study
John Wooten - Doctor of Percussion - Univ. of S. Mississippi
Ricky Malichi - Spaun Drums endorsed Drummer
Dom Famularo - Endorsed Clinician-Educator-Motivationist
Carter Beauford - Dave Matthews Band
Keith Horn - Trish Yearwood and others
Victor Wooten - Jazz & Funk
Joe Morello - Dave Brubeck Quartet
Steve Smith - Journey, Vital Information
Vinnie Caliouta - Frank Zappa, others
Steve Gadd - Steely Dan, Chuck Mangione, Paul Simon and others
Will Kennedy - Yellow Jackets, Martin Short Show
Aerosmith - Ran monitor mix for a performance
Jerome Brailey - Parliament/ P-Funk All-stars
Richard Boals & the Souls - Blues Recording Artist
DCI Corps. - Crossmen '74 and '75
DCA Corps. - Baltimore Yankee-Rebels '76 and '77
Performed w/ high school band for the President of the United States in 1976, Washington, D.C.
All County High School Band - 4 years
Western Maryland Regional Honors Band - 3 years
Maryland State Band - 2 years
Numerous awards and citations - 4 years
Endorsed artist for www.PerussionSchool.com
Second year student at UTEP - Undergraduate of Music Education
Current Percussion Instructor - Burges High School - 2 years
Private instruction for several students - El Paso, TX
Creator and instructor of Sword2Drum Fundamentals Drumming Camp
Director of Music - David Carrasco Job Corps - Current
Burges High School Drumline - 2 years
Ysleta High School All Girls Drum Corps - 1 year
Ysleta High School Marimba Band - 1 year
Ysleta High School Marching Band - 1 year
Previous Percussion Instructor - Appomattox County High School Band - 4 years Appomattox, VA
Previous Instruction-
Frederick High School Band - Frederick, MD - 2 yrs.
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