What do you want to know? The first thing I am usually asked is, "Where are you from?" Let me start by saying that I moved around a lot as I grew up. Right now I'm from right here in Jefferson County, Missouri. I have been here longer than any other place I have lived and it is home, but let me tell you where I have been.

I was born in Illinois but grew up all over Ohio. My father was an engineer who got tranfered regularly. When you move around a lot you find that there are many ways of doing things and you become open to these differences. For example, when I first came to Missouri I remember finding out about city stickers the hard way. I was told that every place has city stickers. Well, I had lived in five states and about 20 different places and I had never heard of city stickers before. That is one of those things that is done differently than anywhere else.

On the other hand, when you move somethings stay the same; my strengths and weaknesses followed me where ever I went. I always have had trouble making close friends. This is not because the people everywhere I lived in were snobbish. I am just very introverted and must work to get to know people.

Then again, every group I have ever belonged to has put me in charge, whether it was Boy Scouts and DeMolay or later the Rotary and Church. This was no conspiracy; I just tend to be orderly and responsible so people look to me to lead. As they say, "Where ever you go there you are." And here I am.

One thing that has always followed me is my music. In junior high I remember deciding that I wanted to be a music teacher. After graduating from Shadyside High School in southeastern Ohio I auditioned at Ohio State. They rejected my application into music because of my weak background. I had come from a small high school in the Appalachian foothills and had never had private lessons like many of the students from Cleveland and Cincinnati. I enrolled as an undecided major and took remedial music courses and kept auditioning. I was finally accepted on my fourth try. Overall Ohio State was good to me. I met my wife Joan there. We have been married over twenty years and have two daughters ages 4 and 9. I did graduate from Ohio State in less than four years with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.

Later I received a Master of Music from the University of Michigan and a Doctor of Music from Indiana University. I liked going to school but no one will pay me to do that.

Around these degrees I was a band director in East Liverpool, Ohio, and Berlin, Ohio. I also taught music at Quincy College. When I was in Quincy, a friend came to visit and we drove down to St. Louis to see the art museum. As I looked around I commented, "If I ever get a chance to move to St. Louis, I'll take it." Two years later a music position opened up at Jefferson College and when I was offered the job I took it. I have been here for almost thirteen years now.