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It seems like that’s all I ever wanted to do…
…(just ask any teacher I had after 3rd grade)

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2025 marks my 50th year as a professional musician!!

If you have time, please visit my ‘Long and Winding Road’ section for a look back on my journey.

To find out if I’m banging a drum anywhere and which drum it might be (the kit or with the drumline)
please scroll down or click here to see my schedule for the next 6 months (and the last 6 months)
or click here for a full 12 months…

I’ve also included a look back at past playdates since it’s always fun to look back and see who I was playing with when…
Click the sub-menus above to look back more than 6 months…

But first…

Here’s a look at just what I’m banging on and some other info that might be of interest to some…

My kit is built around Sonor drums…

I carry several snares (including a 1963 6 1/2 Ludwig wood shell) but my current favorite is a 12″ Pork Pie ‘Little Squealer’…

In 2015 I mounted everything on a custom designed rack based on two Gibraltar Stealth Racks…

In the fall of 2016 I switched from Aquarian to Evans heads
and it’s made a tremendous difference in the sound of the kit – especially the toms…

I added a Kat Percussion KTMP1 Multipad in 2014 and replaced it with a Roland SPD-SX in 2016…

Shortly after moving to the Roland pad I retired my aluminum chime rack
(that never EVER made it into a live mix) and began using a sample instead…

I use a mixed bag of Zildjian and Kasza cymbals that I’ve selected over the years –
some of the Zildjians I’ve had since the late ’70’s…

DW kick and cable hi-hat pedals and a Roland KT-10 trigger pedal (this thing is a beast)…

I mic the kit with Sennheiser E604 mics on the toms and a newer model 604 on the snare.
In 2025, after more than 2 decades, my beloved AKG D-112 developed a dead short in the shaft which I was told wasn’t repairable.
I replaced it with a Shure Beta 52A and couldn’t be happier.
Both mics were mounted INSIDE the bass drum on a shock mount called a Kelly Shu.

When applicable, I also use and AKG AD 190 ES for an overhead or hi-hat at the sound engineer’s discretion.

When necessary, I can submix the whole thing through a Behringer UB1202FX mixer.

I’d used Vic Firth SD1 Generals for as long as I can remember (and still do on lighter volume gigs)
but as my playing became more ‘aggressive’ shall we say I needed something beefier – not heavier, just a little thicker
and I fell in love with the Zildian Rock or Rock Dip sticks…
Then in early 2019 I was visiting Parkway Music in Clifton Park, NY and stumbled on an interesting stick…
a signature stick by a drummer I hadn’t heard of (but boy do I know him now)…
I am totally hooked on the Vic Firth Danny Carey signature stick (drummer for the band Tool)!!

Look closely at the taper in the grip… feels great in my hand!!

All drums, cymbals and hardware are stored in Protechtor cases…
the drums and key hardware also have quilted bags custom made by biggest fan – my Mom. 🙂

In April 2017 I added a Digital Drumdial Tuner to the mix (because tuning be ear can be difficult in noisy rooms)…
I don’t use this very often because I found myself still going back and tuning by ear…
In 2025 I found a tom tuning that works for me where I tune the top head first, then tune the reso head a step higher.

This is very close to being my ‘dream kit’… I think the ‘dream’ would be if I didn’t have to move it, set it up or break it down… 🙂