I owe so much to so many for their influence and love. This will be inadequate regardless of how long it is.

To Ruth, without her, none of this would be possible. My best friend and love of my life, my passion and my density(destiny), she is part of my soul. Her patience and love are my strength.

And though it might be a cliche, she makes me a better me. Her insights and suggestions exist everywhere in my music. Our lives together over the last forty years have been blessed with many joys as well as shared loss and sadness. I would not have wished to have gone through any of it without her and if I had to walk through any valleys, or anywhere else I hope it’s her hand I am holding as I go.

My mother, Janice and father, Edgar were devoted to giving me more than they grew up with. They were nearly always there to listen, and advise. Although they were certainly affected by the harshness that they experienced in their early lives and were far from perfect parents, they gave to me the knowledge of their character and their love. I’ll take that any day along with their inconsistency and occasional hypocritical tendency, which I think just about every kid eventually sees in their own parents. I think I’m more like them than I often care to be in that regard.

Edgar, a man of great passion and talent on and off the field ( the field of dentistry), is ultimately, my personal hero. He had so much to get out there, his mind computing the context of our lives like a row of computers in search of an answer to some ultimate question like, Why are we here? He could have written forever, and he did write music and stories and plays and created inventions and more. He was genuinely, exciting to watch and dangerous if you were in his way and not quick enough to know how to help. That last one was a fault, not to be admired.

What I loved so much about pop was how he greeted each morning as the beginning of something great. Everything he did was full throttle as far as passion went. It wasn’t uncommon to be blasted out of bed to something like Prokofiev or Britten or Schumann, Bach and more. His Fisher phonograph took up the space of one wall where I often sat and listened to quite a hodgepodge collection of LP.s,

My mother was not imbued with any great musical talent and was fond of singing gently off key, often inspiring a laugh and shrug. She didn’t play an instrument or even seem to have any musical qualities whatsoever, but she was loving and caring, seemingly brilliant at times and yes distracted. She was a guide post, as a teacher and eventually a PHD professor in English literature in the 1960-the 1970’s. To so many of her students, she was strong and a powerful image and proponent. She also was passionate about causes and together my parents rooted me to a thinking of the world that aligned closely with the heart of social progress. they were proud of caring about the under privileged, the tired yearning to be free. They taught me to see activism as a responsibility and that history, if not remembered, will lead to repeating our mistakes. My mother, while also a mom to three, forged a path in her pursuit of becoming an entity outside the home; all this, at a time when she was stepping up to a batters box that just recently allowed woman to participate, metaphorically.

My brothers Michael and Mark both introduced me to everything musical from all genres and took me on hippie-like musical adventures at a perfect time in my life. To Mark for having brought Folk music into my heart, teaching me songs, and for all the wonderful music we have played together. I thank Michael for ‘A love Supreme’, and more and knowing how cool a beat or a melody could make you feel and then going with it and for teaching me to fly down the streets of New York as a youngster. I have been very fortunate to have such loving brothers who’s spirit of adventure growing up was infectious.

They each inspire me for their quest for knowledge and their deep social and family values. They both in different ways strive to be filling up the world with good things, and they, in my eyes have done so many times.

My teacher, Peter Link creator of Watchfire Music inc. an accomplished musician and composer in his own right.- As a mentor teacher and friend, he taught me more than I could have imagined about writing music, including listening, scanning, mixing while building, editing, and working diligently on the music and lyric. Maybe most importantly to be true and honest with myself when writing a lyric. Of course, I am still working on that. I only wish I was a better student and that I had more time.

A special tribute to my children, now grown up, for the quality of their hearts fills mine, everyday. Each of my 3 young men have given purpose to my life in ways I cannot express. They have given me joy way more often than not. They have filled our lives with everything my wife and I needed or could have hoped for. I wish to thank them for their patience with us as parents. Much appreciation to Alex, my oldest, for his brilliant guitar work throughout many of my songs. To David and Ethan for providing unique ideas, viewpoints and suggestions and more often than they realized the inspiration! I see us in them from time to time and other times I just sit in awe of each of them.

I have drawn more inspiration from watching them grow into men, than I could have known. Each in their unique way, make me very proud. David’s intensity and determination about everything forces a smile to my lips as I can imagine my father was just like him. His knowledge base expanding exponentially, he is a wealth of information for me and has been helpful to building this site. Ethan’s uncanny awareness and sensitivity about others is something the whole world could use more of. His support of my personal efforts and endeavors has given me strength when at times I feel failure and fatigue. I doubt he can know how meaningful that is to me.

Alex’s strength of character and commitment to fairness have been qualities long admired. His curiosity and willingness to explore alternative solutions also makes him quite the musician. I really love his ability to play multiple styles of music.

For me:

Sometimes writing a good lyric requires stress and conflict. If one has had children, it’s easy since you have all the ingredients.

To my assistant Kathy, who has had to listen ad nauseum for over 17 years to my diatribes. Forced to hear every version of every song; many that no longer exist in that form. She has been a great supporter and honest critic and she keeps me flying straight.

My patients must be thanked as well. They too, often with cotton between their lips, saliva building up and an interrogation like light in their face listened with little ability to respond to many a new project or tune I had become excited to share. I thank these patients, even the harsh and critical ones, because in the end I became stronger for it.

Finally, my dog, Cooper: His unconditional love, when everyone else is done with me and I have cashed in all my chips with family and friends for that day, it is Cooper who merely with a nudge of his furry body lets me know he has got my back.