My passion for drumming began at around the age of 10. I made my living as a drum kit player in the 1970's. During that time I also completed a jazz music diploma at Grant MacEwan Community College in Edmonton and the first two years of a music degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton.
In the late 1970's I transferred into education and completed a degree in Special Education with a minor in Music. I taught fulltime in elementary schools throughout most of the 1980's and continued to play music casually on weekends.
An interesting turn of events occurred during the late 1980's and early 1990's. In 1989 I decided to sell both of my drum sets, my vibraphone and xylophone. I thought I was done with the music business. But in 1991, I quite suddenly acquired a deep desire to hand drum as a way to heal some deep wounds I had recently experienced.
Not long after, I heard my first djembe, a West African style of hand drum. I immedately bought one and soon after began learning how to play it. I also learned how to make them. I had never taken much of an interest in hand drums of any sort prior to this.
In fact, as a rock and jazz drummer and symphony percussionist in the 1970’s, I considered hand drumming as rather primitive instruments. I soon found out that these drums played a very deep and highly complex role in the musical heritage of many West African cultures and I was filled with humility and reverence.
As a stay-at-home dad throughout the 1990's, I continued to study and make djembe and ashiko drums. I also began facilitating drum circles and teaching hand drumming .