Engineer by day.  Trombonist by night.  Groggy at dawn.  Eating dinner sometime around dusk.


So you may be thinking to yourself: “Self, I really love John’s new website!  He’s so handsome and charming and funny.  (And modest too!)  But I really wish I knew more about the story behind this Rocket Trombone!”  It’s quite simple really.  Let me explain:

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved space.  I loved to go stargazing, and owned books, star charts and computer software to help me find things with my telescope.  I loved watching Star Wars, Star Trek, and the Transformers (who were robots from space!).  The vast majority of Lego sets I owned were space-themed.  When computers had advanced enough to do so, I played video games about space.  My dad and I enjoyed model rocketry.  I even spent two summers at the Delaware Aerospace Academy, which was a local version of space camp.

But on the other hand, I also loved music.  My parents were both music majors, so they exposed me to a wide range of music growing up.  In fourth grade I picked up the trombone and never looked back.  In high school, I played in every ensemble available, and for a variety of gigs outside of school.  I also took two MIDI classes, giving me a taste of arranging and composing.

When I went on to college, I majored in Aerospace Engineering while also playing my trombone in the marching band, pep band, and jazz ensemble.  Even today, I play with missiles all day, but keep time in my schedule to play with the local community band and the occasional community theater production.  Music and space are still inexorably part of my life, and always will be.

So that’s the meaning behind my “Rocket Trombone”.  However, music and space are still only the beginning of what defines me.  There’s my wonderful wife and our two cats, who all constantly strive to keep me on my toes, but are also the best family in the world to relax with at the end of the day.  My wife and I enjoy all manner of outdoor activities, like hiking, kayaking, skiing, cycling, rollerblading, and the beach.  There’s also volleyball, hockey, my classic BMW, playing with this silly computer…

I created this website to keep friends and family up-to-date on my adventures, but also to be a place for me to share my pictures and thoughts on, well, just about anything!  I hope you enjoy this little glimpse into my life.  Be sure to write a comment or two to say hi and share your thoughts too!