Go
back now!I spent my teen years at Manasquan High School, I was an average student - but became passionately involved with the high schools' music department under the direction of Bandleader Harry Eichhorn. I was no scholar, to be quite honest, but I DID receive the John Philip Sousa Award, a national music award given to high school students who apply themselves above and beyond the normal call of duty with regard to their schools music department... It may sound like a trivial award to most, but it sure wasn't for me. I spent the time I perhaps should have spent studying other subjects down in the band room - there I had the best friends anyone could possibly have... Lorri J., Mike V., Robert A., Judy W, Molly H.,.... there are too many of them to list, but they were (and I'm sure still are) the best - I had a great time! I Played in a rock band - Odyssey (not just another rock band!) - we played at several school dances, 2 junior proms and a senior ball - it was a blast! It is because of High School and Music I came to meet my 2 oldest and dearest friends, Woody D. and Lorri J. - We casually keep in touch to this day.
After Graduating High School, I attended Brookdale Community College, intent on studying Music - I lasted for 1 full semester - I love music, but hate music theory... go figure! Anyways, I attended BCC aimlessly and part-time for 2 years, took a bunch of business and computer courses, and never obtained my associate degree... that figures, eh?? That's OK, I got a job as a computer operator at a major regional bank, and was making a decent living (considering the fact that I was still living at home, sponging of the generosity of my parents!!!) - I found my field, however... Computer Science!!
I came to Plattsburgh, New York to attend the State University as a Computer Science major - was gonna be a programmer! ... I was a poor student, but made it to my senior year in the major. I was miserable, needed to visit a chiropractor once a week because of stress-related backache... in short, I felt lost. While wandering the halls of Yokum Hall - in a gray funk, I came upon PSTV, Plattsburgh State Television. Gee, television looked like fun! It was, and still is!! I still love to play with computers, however, go figure!
I blasted through the Mass Communications major by attending classes year-round, the classes were now a pleasure, and besides, I met this really wonderful, thoughtful, selfless person, Kelly Rock... She's now Kelly Chew, by the way... more about her and my family in my Family Link.
I graduated from Plattsburgh State in 1986, walked off the graduation podium and into the offices of WCFE-TV, the local PBS. As far as experience goes, I think it'd be hard to find a better place to learn about the television business then at WCFE. I look at WCFE as "the little station that could". We did a LOT of production! Everything from local quiz game shows to field documentaries for national release... what a place!!! I started as a production assistant, and got promoted to producer/director inside of 6 months, stayed there for slightly over 8 years.
As fate would have it, I started getting restless at WCFE, (and, I admit a bit of paranoid feelings on a personal level about federal and state cutbacks to Public Broadcasting) so I decided to strike out on my own. I quit WCFE and the television industry, and purchased a bath refinishing franchise (no names here, we'll just say they're the largest of their kind, with franchises Worldwide)... the franchise and me, well, we had "philosophical" differences, let's say, so we parted, and went our own ways.... we'll leave it at that. I still refinish baths, by the way - part time, trying to pay off the debt incurred purchasing the aforementioned franchise.... Ah, the wisdom of experience!!!
I said part time, did you notice? (do you care??) I felt to need to return to television. As fate would have it, WPTZ-TV (NBC) needed a commercial producer for their Montreal clientele, cool - I accepted the position, where I still work.
Boy, oh boy - life sure is funny, isn't it? That serpentine of decisions and events leading up to the present. When I consider all the different paths I may have taken but didn't, the choices and mistakes I've made, the people, places and personal victories I've experienced , It is then, that I realize just how lucky, how truly blessed I really am!
Well, enough about me, I'll Talk to you later... I gotta to get back to work.
Go
back now!