I was born and raised in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, in an atmosphere that was hostile to classical music. My parents did not like it, and there was no radio station in the area at that time that broadcast classical music. As a child of the 1960s, my first musical interest was the Beatles and other rock groups of the era, and I still enjoy this music. By the end of the decade, I was growing tired of the direction pop music was taking and was looking for something else. A liking for the “Hallelujah Chorus” on a Christmas album led me to sample Messiah. I knew I had found what I was looking for, and Handel has been a passion with me ever since.

Unlike most of my colleagues, I do not have a degree in music or a history of music performance. I took piano and music courses in college, but my major was English. My major qualifications for reviewing recordings are that I have been collecting LPs and CDs since I had any available spending money, I am fairly well read in the subjects that interest me, and I write well. A move to Chicago over 25 years ago has allowed me to experience a wide variety of music in performance.

A letter to the editor prompted Joel Flegler to invite me to submit a sample review and led to my being hired as a member of the staff. I like to think that I represent the viewpoint of the average informed Fanfare reader who collects music but is not employed in the music industry.