My name is Dave. I play the drums. I enjoy playing rock, funk, fusion, prog. and just about anything in-between. I live in "sweet-home Chicago".I began to play the drums in 1978 when I was around 12 years old. My transition to drums followed 2 years of piano lessons which I believe, make me a much better drummer as I understand basic music theory.My love affair with the drums began when I was in elementary school and a local jazz ensemble came to our school to perform. I clearly remember the awesome audio and visual experience. The drummer played a Rodgers red spakle 5 piece drum kit.I got my 1st drum set when I was 12 years old following my 1st year in junior high orchestra. This was a used 5 piece Ludwig silver sparkle kit. This was originally a 4 piece kit and the 3rd tom-tom was added later on. The tom-tom was actually a 14" floor-tom cut in half!My 2nd kit was a 1965 black-pearl Rodgers Holiday Star. I loved the sound of this old kit and by this time, I was playing some pretty advanced rock and fusion such as Jeff Beck, Yes and Chick Corea.As I began to appreciate Progressive Rock, I made a leap to the mega sized kits often used by drummers like Chester Thompson, Allen White and Billy Cobham. Oh Billy, Billy Billy! The big kit was a Tama Superstar, double-bass drum set up with 8 toms! It had a natural Maple finish and it was visually stunning. Unfortunately, this monster sized kit was not my cup of tea. The mammoth set up was cumbersome to transport and set up. The floorspace requirements for it were huge and it was difficult to play with the high-level of accuracy and finesse that I value. Eventually I sold the kit and used the money for tuition for college.It is now 2006 and I play a fine sounding Gretsch 6 piece kit with a natural mahogany finish. The shells are made of birch which has a wondefully articulate and well balanced sound. The kit works well with all types of music, looks great on stage.
