I prefer sound checks to concerts, but if given a choice, I'd go to rehearsals because I love watching things come together.

With bands, I always try to see three shows because I don't think it's fair to judge a band based on one performance. They could play the best or worst show of their lives and if I've never seen them before, how would I know? By seeing three shows, I know if the between song banter is scripted, or if the band sticks to their set list, I can take interaction between the players and with the audience, and, if enough time has passed between the first show and the third, I can see how the band and show has evolved.

I write, but I don't think of myself as a writer. I've published articles in Musician Magazine and Bam, a California publication. I've written three feature length screenplays, some short stories and a few dozen essays.

I'm a teacher. I teach Literature (American, Modern, and Drama) at two NJ colleges. I have a Masters in Teaching from The New School, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Goddard College. I studied screenwriting at Goddard because I wanted to learn how to write a screenplay, but I also wanted to explore my creative process. At Goddard, I spent two years working on one script and from that I learned about the discipline and devotion required to begin and complete a project.

Whether someone is creating a song, a story or a painting, I'm fascinated by the process by which an artist moves from an initial idea to that moment when s/he knows the work is finished.

There are some artists who I love, and when I read an article or listen to an interview, it doesn't take long to figure out if the journalist has done adequate research. With every artist featured on The Echo Lounge, I know somewhere there is someone who knows "everything" about the artist, and my goal is to give that fan something new, or maybe a different perspective. For the person who isn't familiar with the artist, I want to give him or her a solid introduction to the life and work of the artist.

The focus of The Echo Lounge is the process by which each artist creates his/her work, and to explore how art echoes art. Being a fiercely private person myself, I won't delve into the personal lives of the featured artists, though the life of the artist is explored.