Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio
Grew up: Columbus, Ohio
Started playing: 5th Grade
Education: BM – The Ohio State University, BME – The Ohio State University, MM – The Ohio State University, DMA – The Ohio State University (composition)
Began with CSO: 1977
Non-CSO Activities: Senior Lecturer – Otterbein College (percussion, music theory, composition, electronic music)
Favorite music: Palestrina, Victoria, Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, Brahms, Stravinsky, Debussy, Mahler, Hindemith, Shostakovich, Bernstein, Copland,  Webern, John Adams, John Corigliano, Morton Subotnik, Sylvia Pengilly, Michael Rhoades, Russell Pinkston, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Gary Burton (notice that I have not included any rappers).
In my iPod: I never listen to music that way.
Outside ensembles or groups: Westerville Symphony Orchestra (timpanist)
Main Teachers: James Moore (percussion); Marshall Barnes (composition)
When not rehearsing or performing on stage with the CSO, I spend my time…teaching at Otterbein College, composing, hanging out with my wife, Laurie.
If I had not become a professional musician, I may have become a…engineer or lawyer.
To unwind, I listen to…NPR
In the car, I listen to…NPR
The non-musical accomplishment that I am most proud of is…raising two great daughters.
My favorite vacation is…exploring Europe.
To prepare for a performance, I…learn the notes; I try to figure out which are more important, which are less important; and I try to communicate to my audience through that interpretation.
An extremely positive musical experience I have had was…nailing the snare drum part to Ravel’s Bolero.
A profound experience, musical or otherwise, that has shaped or deeply influenced my approach to music would be…understanding that there is a lot more to Webern than rudimental serialism.  While he worked in that framework, until you understand the layers beyond that you totally miss the point.
If I could spend a day with any composer, it would be…Stravinsky.  He continually reinvented himself musically.