I received my B.Mus in Organ from Wheaton College. I also took a number of computer science courses. I met my wife, Colleen, a voice major, there. We think our teachers played matchmaker over coffee one day.
Colleen and I then moved to Texas for graduate studies. She finished her D.M.A. from the University of North Texas. I had a graduate assistantship in the Computer Assisted Studies lab, and I did a year’s work toward a Master’s in Musicology. That spring, though, I attended a job fair and received three offers. I figured I should take one of them. As I began my career in IT, I continued taking lessons at the University. In 1986, I received my CAGO.
In 1988, Colleen insisted that I apply for a job at IBM. I’m still not sure why, but they hired me. It worked well for 17 years. In 1996, my book on IBM’s client / server computing capabilities was published. It sold nearly 10,000 copies, was translated into German, and was used as a textbook for IBM staff. In 1997 and 1998, I was a part of IBM’s IT team at the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan.
Soon after we moved back to Chicago, I accepted the organist’s post at St. Philips Episcopal Church in Palatine. In early 2005, though, IBM’s needs became too stringent for me to continue serving every Sunday. We became members at Barrington’s Lutheran Church of the Atonement; I played there as need arose.
In 2013, in a surprising turn of events, my daughter, my son, and I joined the cast of the Bristol Renaissance Faire. For 6 years pre-plague, I spent summer weekends time-traveling to portray a member of the Trayn’d Bandes of Bristol, the local militia. I also reenact Titanic-themed events; I’ll portray the Lord Mayor of Cork in April.
In 2021, I substituted for a few months at St. Philips in Palatine, and now I’m serving as the interim Director of Music at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Glen Ellyn. With my day job, my present focus is cybersecurity.
Overall, I’ve conducted business on five continents in a career where I’m always learning something new. I’ve played glorious organs in North American and in Europe. I’ve sung in Japan. I wrote a book and people outside my family bought it. I’ve handled pikes and fired both muskets and cannon. And I’ve met many dear people along the way.