Dave received his first trumpet three weeks before his eleventh birthday. Dave started practicing for between 2 to 4 hours per day, driven by a burning desire. He was also required to practice religiously once he graduated from College. The New England Conservatory of Music was his first stop, followed by Berklee College of Music for 2 more years. The latter was to concentrate on Jazz Composition as well as Lead and Jazz playing in large and small groups. College was not a place of success and talent development at breakneck speed. Dave was first exposed to embouchure problems at N.E.C. He spent 3-4 years trying to resolve some of his problems. Many of his related issues, such as embouchure (e.g. His “dystonia” and related ’embouchure’ issues (e.g. He didn’t find the solution to his problem until much later in life. This will be covered in more detail in a future book, as well as on a few clips of a youtube video. Dave received a job at the Balsams Resort Hotel, Dixville Notch (New Hampshire) for two seasons. Dave was performing five nights per week in the Switzerland of America Ballroom, doing three shows each week and then playing a sixth night of “cocktails” on Sunday. After 2 years of “boot camp” training, Dave began to look for a metropolitan area to share his talents. Los Angeles was a viable option for Dave because he loves commercial music, studio recording, and sunny weather.
Dave played Latin Top 40 three to four nights per week after he joined a rock band that had potential record label interest. Dave realized that he needed to make other contacts to avoid musical stagnation and disappointment. The “horn section” of the rock band did not get a recording contract, and Dave was no longer the leader. A brief demonstration of his unique pyrotechnics was made and distributed to professional recording musicians and contractors. Dave was faced with a new marriage and decently paid gigs that were not guaranteed, so he began to look for a way to survive.
Dave quit music after several years because he didn’t have the thick skin necessary to withstand the political climate of professional freelancing. He also had the constant issues that his embouchure was causing him. Dave was open to learning from a wide range of disciplines over the next 12-15 years. Dave gained a deep understanding of the mind-body connection through his years of Martial Arts training, including exercise & kinesiology and target shooting. He was able to rekindle his love for music and trumpet.
Dave has been playing trumpet for a little over ten years. He’s grown as a musician and a recording artist on his own projects more than any other time in the course of his life. He is now a more mature, accomplished composer, arranger, producer and producer than any of his previous skills. Dave is a producer and musical contractor for Project Studio. He has five CDs under his belt. He is also able to arrange and write original compositions as well as covers. Dave has tutored dozens of musicians, both professionals and amateurs. Dave currently resides in Los Angeles and is a producer, music composer, and recording artist.