My compositions go from the--well, definitely not "sublime", but "serious" - to the definitely-ridiculous. In fact, it's hard to call myself a composer and keep a straight face. But I'm not ashamed to be a composer of Silly Songs. And even if I were: TOUGH! because I'm sure I'll best be remembered, not for the religious anthems I've composed, but for all the silly songs I have penned over the years, whenever a celebration or spoof-worthy occasion called for it!  

The first time I ever "got" a musical idea, I was eight years old, reading an "outer space" comic book, and a tune just arrived in my head. I went to the piano and began to pick it out. It wasn't very original, but it was catchy-- and it definitely made a good "sound track" for what I was reading - a harbinger of things to come!

Through middle school I continued "getting" ideas for instrumental pieces, which my tolerant piano teachers  let me include on recitals along with the obligatory Mozart and Bach -- even putting up with my pompous introductions like "I am going to play a Bach Bourée and one of my own compositions, Night Ride.").

As a teenager, I fell in love with American folk music-- a love that continues today, even though the '60's are over. When I got my first guitar at fourteen, the first of several wistful, soulful songs fell into my head, not from a comic book, but from hitting upon a particular enchanting chord sequence, by accident. "Serious" songwriting for me is an ongoing venture-- although now, I have more sophisticated toys to compose on, and can write pieces that are way beyond my ability to play, or sing. 

At my high school and later, college, it was traditional for the sophomore class to write and produce an entire musical  comedy- -and having been brought up on Rodgers and Hammerstein, and Lerner and Lowe, I found it exhilarating to try my hand at writing a whole show. It wasn't daunting in the least, because I had grown up in a family that loved to write song parodies for weddings, reunions, and other joyful gatherings, and then render them to an adoring audience. Mother and I particularly liked to use Irving Berlin's "I Wonder Why," while Dad and I favored "Lida Rose" from The Music Man --both songs having the challenge, but with tremendous rewards, that they consist of two verses that are sung solo, then --ta-DA! -- simultaneously!  The duet my father and I wrote (to "Lida Rose") for  my brother's wedding was such a triumph that his wife's family still talk about it-- ten years after their divorce! (sample killer rhyme-scheme: "but our new in-laws/ don't have our kin flaws--/so welcome in, 'cause--/you're our new  Sis!").

Recently I have begun composing anthems, out of a desire to gift special friends with music for a wedding, commitment ceremony, or new-house blessing. For my Dad's memorial service in 2006,  I was moved to try setting The Lord's Prayer-- a real challenge.

But also in 2006 I placed second in a film-scoring competition at The Indie Gathering  in Cleveland, which tickles me immensely-- writing for films is something I would definitely love to do more of! 

My proudest achievement to date, though, is the theme song for NBTV, a zany puppet series created by Natural Bridges and Kirk Maynard -- think "Muppets meet Monty Python!" Not Mozart, not Bach, but hopefully, a tune you can't stop singing -- what's important? And on that note---ENJOY! This is It! This is It! This is NBTV!