I joined Local 802 because I believe in the importance of individual artists working together to accomplish feats that are impossible alone. Over-qualified and under-employed artists are exploited constantly throughout the world, and only through collective bargaining can we stand up for the rights of working people. New York City has one of the greatest musical communities in the world. It’s an exhilarating community to be in, and together we can make each others’ lives better. My musical goal in New York is to develop my presence and career as a composer, producer and performer in the greatest music scene in the United States and to work with like-minded artists on the highest level possible. My favorite recent gig is (and is almost always) the last show by my own group, Progger, in which I’m fortunate to play with some of my favorite fellow musicians and human beings on earth. Still, music is not the most important thing in life, and I try not to confuse the importance of music with the importance of things like human rights and environmental protection. But music provides an important injection of joy, zest and energy that makes life better. As far as my principal instrument, I divide my time evenly between saxophone and keyboards.