My musical journey began in my native Ireland, where I traveled from one end of the rainbow to the other, putting in "kit-time" with such acts as Gimik, Denis Allen, and Hi Energy. In between shows, I squeezed in as much studio-time as possible, both behind the drums and behind the faders, playing and/or engineering for rock bands, country bands, TV themes, radio jingles ... anything with a pulse! When I had developed my playing somewhat, I began to teach drums (primarily to gratify my compulsion to be addressed as "Sir").
 
Like many of my countrymen, I have a wandering spirit (why do you think there's an Irish bar in every town in the world?), so it was somewhat inevitable that I would one day set sail for the New World. The tour that brought me to the US finished up in Boston and, after reading a local paper's account of the thriving Boston music scene, I decided not to bother taking the flight home. I spent the next several years performing and recording with some of (in my oh-so-humble opinion) Boston's finest, most notably Terri Bright and One Of Us. Whenever time allowed, I continued to teach, and I also "rediscovered my roots", working with Celtic-influenced acts, like Spike Island, and playing percussion in more traditional Irish ensembles.
 
I worked with Mike Mangini on Extreme's "Punchline" tour. Mike had been assembling the ideas that were to make up Rhythm Knowledge, and he invited me to join the project. Since then, I've spent way too many daylight hours 'chained to a desk' (combining my love of music and writing with an ever-increasing addiction to computers), helping to write and publish Rhythm Knowledge, Volumes One and Two. While I hope to be equally involved when Volumes Three, Four, etc. roll around, for now I'm turning my sights on the Internet. I've begun work on "Rhythm Knowledge Online", a series of interactive rhythm-lessons. If you're interested, class is in session at www.rhythmknowledge-drumschool.com
 
After the Extreme tour, wanderlust (or, more accurately, a dread of winter chills) took me westward to San Diego. For the next few years, I took schizophrenia to a new level, juggling SwingTree (an acoustic-tinged rock act); Blue Tomato (a blues band); Mad Dogs and Englishmen (a Joe Cocker tribute); and The Larry Mitchell Band (a unique blend of jazz, rock, and hip-hop). "Way too many balls in the air", you may say, but hey, I'm only a drummer after all ... it's not like I have to play music or anything!!
 
Then I saw an ad that began: "Drummer sought for pop rock power trio Fiction. Super driven, super committed, freak energy...", and I thought "these guys are as obsessed as me, this could work out!". I finished up 1999 with an 11-week national tour, sandwiched between studio sessions to record tracks for the upcoming "Radio Fiction" CD. Unfortunately, it later became apparent that the people didn't mix as well as the music, so I resumed my quest for "the dream gig".