I guess I should have submitted a picture of me holding some audio bling, but I have a passion for food and wine as well, so this will have to do. I grew up in Los Angeles, the child of parents who listened to music constantly, my father classical and mother Jazz (she was the bohemian one). By the beginning of Junior High I was studying and playing trumpet, focusing on classical music. I played with the Los Angeles Youth Symphony (Sometimes conducted by Werner Klemperer) and spent many summers away at music camps. It wasn't until HS that I discovered rock (I was such a music nerd), starting with "crossover" bands like Emerson Lake and Palmer, ELO, Pink Floyd, etc.. In college I had my first stereo system, one of those portable KLH record player/speaker combos and I played the s..t out of it. While my trumpet playing still focused on classical, my musical interests continued to expand listening to lots of Dead and Allman Brothers and then a friend introduced me to his DIY high end audio system. It was a revelation. During my post graduate education, I cobbled together a decent beginner stereo system that would fit in my small studio, but didn't have the time or money to pursue a better system until the early 80's, just in time for the digital revolution. Luckily for me, I was still collecting vinyl, which became much easier and cheaper when everyone began dumping their record collections in order to buy the "Superior" CDs.

In the last 30 years, my system has evolved from ADS L1590's to B&W 801's and for the last 18 years Ruark Solstice's, with assoc. SS and tubed gear (Carver, Classe', Audible Illusions, CAT, and presently Cary). I still play about 75% vinyl (a mix of Classical, Jazz and acoustic rock/Americana) and love hunting for vinyl in small local record stores and online, but I am now evermore impressed with how far digital has come and the vast library's available thru streaming.

In the early 90's I was part of one of the early audio societies in the SF Bay Area , BAAA, and have continued to enjoy the comradery, education and shared interests thru our current group for many years. Now that I am partially retired, I look forward to working on the SFAF Board and helping to provide the same benefits and enjoyment I have come to expect from our Audiophile Foundation.