From the late 1950s through the 1960s, my father was a bandleader. He played trombone and bass for his group, The David Lee Orchestra, touring nightclubs and military bases across the Southeast. Following in his musical footsteps, I began piano lessons at age nine, switched to trombone in middle school, and continued through high school. During my undergrad college years, I performed liturgical repertoire in brass choirs, and in the 1980s, I played with some excellent musicians in a Danville area ensemble called Epiphany Brass. Relocations and heavy work travel later reduced my playing to occasional at-home practice. As my schedule stabilized, I pursued more serious performance opportunities, joining the C’ville Band in 2008 while also playing in other ensembles, dance bands, and musical pit orchestras.

Increased work travel beginning in 2016—often weekly or monthly—forced a brief hiatus from the C’ville Band. After retiring from my full-time career in 2018, I rejoined the C’ville Band post-pandemic and returned to several other ensembles. When I’m not playing trombone, I provide consulting and expert witness services for insurance litigation and collaborate with the Risk Management faculty at my graduate school alma mater, Florida State University.

My father was a fine musician. The true talent skipped a generation; my children are now the family's serious musicians. My son, a third generation trombonist, serves as the Director of Bands at Albemarle High School, and my daughter, a trained concert bassoonist, is a certified music therapist working with special needs children in Jacksonville, Florida. My personal musical tastes are broad, spanning from Beethoven to Buffett, with Armstrong, Bernstein, Kristofferson, and Marsalis in between.