A plastic toy guitar landed in my hands when I was about six, I remember deliberately going to sit under our front porch to play with it. I had no idea that I would actually make a pleasant sound with it.  Two chords were struck that day, one on the toy and one in my heart.  Soon after, cheap guitars and an old piano would keep me out of serious trouble as a child and lead me to a world of musical fascination. 

Hours were spent fumbling around on piano keys and guitar strings to accompany myself.  I trusted my ears and curiosity more than actual instruction on either instrument.  I started singing at a very early age and learning to play an instrument helped me find my voice and develop as a player.  This would lead to songwriting; I was playing my own material by the fourth grade.  It was truly elementary (I know, I know -really bad pun), but I owned the performance and the songs...

As a child, I played music in school shows and church.  Before finishing high school, I was playing everything from small concerts to wedding ceremonies and even a few bar gigs. 

After several years of playing in various unique rock bands, I felt compelled to get back to the intimate acoustic roots that got me going in the first place.  For me, the 'coffee house' acoustic thing is the space where I belong.  Listening to great singer/songwriters like Shawn Colvin, David Wilcox, Luka Bloom (and a multitude of others who are relatively unknown), in an intimate environment, has given me some of the best times of my life.  I want to be a part of the magic and the coffee house circuit is where (I believe) it can be found. 

I'm happily playing to small crowds in southern California.  I can be found at cafes of every sort or sitting in with friends at quaint restaurants. I travel to the Los Angeles area on regular basis because of the many great coffee house venues there.  I plan to continue performing, writing songs and getting a recording project underway in the near future.   

Above all, life is good; its also short.  I'll do my part by contributing to the greater good and I invite you to join along.  I appreciate your interest in my music and, hopefully, I'll see you at an upcoming show.

Joe