daPast

Aw, I'll tell you later.

Ok, Ok.

In high school Charlie Brown, an accordionist from the poor side of town who was in the Musician's Union, took me under his wing as a rhythm guitarist and we played dozens of gigs for the Elks Club, wedding receptions, and other local venues in places around Monterey, California - finally at a battle-of-the-bands in Santa Cruz. We didn't win. In college, where I studied electronic music, I took a class from John Cage, the revolutionary composer who changed my attitudes and perception of music. After college I composed sound tracks for a San Francisco experimental theatre company as a night gig. Then I moved East and floundered around a while, finally meeting my spouse and moving to Takoma Park, MD. Now we live in Silver Spring.

I taught for several years. Once in Suitland, Maryland at a Catholic girls school, where most of the kids were Black and the bosses were nuns. Then in a snooty private school in Potomac. We didn't see eye to eye. Then in an 'about to fail' little private school in Takoma Park. Finally I'd had it and started a tech company in the basement. I sold that to the employees after some years. Then I built a small office building with a recording studio (Asparagus Media) in that basement, where I spent time with the proprietor - Steve Steckler - and recorded 'Karma Casino' with a great, broad, cross-section of musicians from my past, present and future. Most of the lyrics for those songs were collaborations with my friend Reid Baron, a poet and writer.

We brought up our family in Takoma Park. I served on the City Council for two terms, 'til I realized that I'm too fidgety to sit through the meetings. I sold the office building to a local business group a few years ago. We now spend some time on the West coast - where a grandchild is - and I'm continuing to write and perform music.

In 2001 Karen Taylor, David Potts-Dupre, and I - along with a dozen others - co-founded TakomaZone, a wondrous collective of musicians. We had an every-Saturday gig at a local cafe for seven years, and we covered about every genre you can think of. Many recordings/CDs and performances sprung from that time.

Now is a new phase. Whatever the musical genre - let it speak truth, community, humor and love in song.