Like many people in my generation my mother wanted me to take piano lessons, and I did. I also attended a public school system with an excellent music program. I played trumpet in the concert band, pep band, pit band and orchestra. My teachers included Don Mcmahel, Ovid Chambers and Rubin Sher. These were great teachers. When I was in high school I took organ lessons from Ruth Ewing, who was a wonderful teacher and one of the most important people in my musical life.
My first regular job was playing organ at the 10:00 a.m. service at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in New Albany, IN. I often rode my bike to the church since I was to young to drive.
My parents were always supportive of my music interests, they bought me a guitar, a bass guitar, let my garage bands practice at our house. Can you imagine? My parents also gave me a Harpsichord kit as a graduation present from High School. That was a great project and helped me get a summer job in 1976 at Steiner Organs, who built pipe organs.
I attended Indiana University School of Music and have an undergraduate degree with Organ as my primary instrument.