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I moved from Pittsburgh to South Florida at the age of seven and have lived here since. I wanted to be a musician, but ended up being a firefighter. I was lucky in a way, because I continued to play music while I worked an exciting and terrific job. My biggest thrill in music was when my band, Hemlock, was signed to Warner Brothers records. We recorded two songs that became dance hits: "Disco Break" and "Body Rhythm." We also wrote the soundtrack to a grade B teen film called "Swap Meet." Google Hemlock Disco Break for info and youtube clips.
My biggest thrill on the fire department was the very rare times we brought someone back who had no heartbeat. By the time I left the fire department I was fed up with bands. Good bands are like bad fires: unpredictable and volatile. I was tired of growing to love the groups I played bass in only to see them fall apart.
I always loved writing. In the many bands I played in, I composed nearly all the lyrics. It was a natural progression to move into story writing. Notice I didn't say "easy." It's a struggle everyday for me to find the right words to match the right thoughts. Most of the time, to my disappointment, I fail. But every once in a while I get it right. When I do, I get nearly the same thrill I did when I heard "Disco Break" on American Bandstand, or when the defibrillator jolted a heart into beating again.
My biggest thrill on the fire department was the very rare times we brought someone back who had no heartbeat. By the time I left the fire department I was fed up with bands. Good bands are like bad fires: unpredictable and volatile. I was tired of growing to love the groups I played bass in only to see them fall apart.
I always loved writing. In the many bands I played in, I composed nearly all the lyrics. It was a natural progression to move into story writing. Notice I didn't say "easy." It's a struggle everyday for me to find the right words to match the right thoughts. Most of the time, to my disappointment, I fail. But every once in a while I get it right. When I do, I get nearly the same thrill I did when I heard "Disco Break" on American Bandstand, or when the defibrillator jolted a heart into beating again.
