FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: On which instrument do you compose your music?
A: I compose almost exclusively on the piano. I was encouraged at a young age to learn a musical instrument other than drums - one requiring me to learn real musical chords, scales, harmonies, modes, etc. I chose the piano and began studying jazz musical theory as a child.
Q: What drums do you play?
A: For acoustic drums, I play a nine-piece (6-ply-maple) DW kit with two bass drums, two hi-hats, and 11 cymbals. For electronic drums, I play a six-piece Roland V-Drums kit (model TD-30KV).
Q: What artists and musical genres most inspire you?
A: As a drummer, I like music that grooves. Music with a powerful beat. Music that excites and makes people want to dance. I also have a passion for improvisation - for how expressive, personal, vital and in-the-moment artists are when they are soloing. To me nothing is more authentic. That being said, I love and listen to all kinds of music - from the softest bossa nova to the heavy metal - and everything in between. I’m influenced by it all and literally have two terabytes of music with which I feed my iPod. The musical genres include artists from many different decades, countries, and everything under the sun: jazz (swing to fusion), R&B, late-‘60’s psychedelic rock, funk, hip-hop, pop, rap, soul, oldies, disco, metal, Brazilian, ‘80s music, classic rock, grunge, house, surf music, alternative, folk, spy music, industrial, classical music, drum ‘n’ bass . . . it all inspires me.
Q: How old were you when you first started drumming?
A: Age 6. I started on a 4-piece Gretch kit my dad purchased in 1963 before I was even born. I seemed pretty natural on drums. I could play a rock beat with no instruction the very first time I sat behind the kit.
Q: When was your first gig?
A: I was 9 years old and actually got paid. I was fortunate to be the youngest member of a successful family band, which enabled me to become a professional musician at a young age.
Q: Who has most inspired you as a drummer?
A: Billy Cobham. When I first heard him play, I was totally blown away. His phenomenal playing inspired me to study fusion full time. While studying all the famous drum greats within that genre I also heard Dave Weckl and was especially inspired by his phenomenal technique and started pushing my 4-way independence abilities even harder. Overall, I'm a huge fan of most known drummers in the fields of jazz, funk, fusion, prog-rock and metal and have even studied personally with many of them.
Q: What inspires you to compose music?
A: Life provides infinite inspiration - from a morning Manhattan skyline to a Jamaican beach at sunset; from my wife's beautiful smile to children laughing while chasing their dogs in the park; from a loud autumn thunderstorm to a quiet summer afternoon.
