With 20 years of experience as a guitar player, Pete has played on a wide variety of gigs from rock, funk R&B, blues, country and jazz. He enjoys being a leader as much as he enjoys being a sideman. In addition, Pete has taught guitar technique and music theory for 7 years, maintaining between 20-25 students each year. His students have ranged in age from 8 to 40. He is currently teaching at The Seattle Drum School and very happy to be part of their team.
Pete's musical path began when he first attended college at Pennsylvania State University and it was there that the guitar began to interest him. Among the bands Pete played with while attending college were "Stone Boat" (hard rock), "George Henry Band" (heavy metal), "The Plague Dogs" (originals and covers), and "The Outer Limits" (classic rock). On occasion, Pete would also play in a Rush tribute band.
After graduating from Penn State, Pete decided a change of scenery was necessary and he moved to New Orleans, where he would reside for twelve years. While in New Orleans, his interest shifted to more improvisational music. In 1999, this would lead to a new milestone as he would become a full-time musician. While playing with the New Orleans R&B band "Quite Contrary", Pete performed 5-7 nights a week and soon started teaching. The band had a successful run and recorded, produced and released a full length album entitled "On The Rocks". In addition, he has played with "Lipps and the Tripps" (Rockabilly), "Slim Nelson Trio" (country blues), "Dirty Mouth" (spoof rock), "Albeaux" (blues, folk, bluegrass), "Way of the Drum" (funk rock), and "Louisiana Spice" (wedding/variety band) to name a few. Pete also writes and performs songs with his wife Camille (vocals) in a band they call "Category Five".
In 2001, Pete decided to pursue his Master's in Music at The University of New Orleans. His decision came as a result of his ongoing interest with improvisation, ear-training, harmony and his desire to have another means to communicate to his growing roster of students. Pete graduated with his Master's in Jazz Performance in the Spring of 2005. While attending UNO, Pete had the pleasure of studying with former Blue Note recording artist, Steve Masakowsi (endowed Coca-Cola chair of jazz studies and graduate guitar instructor), and jazz great Terence Blanchard among others. Pete also had the opportunity to meet and perform with jazz guitar greats such as Howard Alden, Larry Coryell and Peter Bernstein.
Pete now resides in Seattle and is happy to be part of the group "The Groove Messengers", whose focus is on blues, jazz, funk, and R&B. You can catch them at various nightclubs in the Puget Sound area. In addition, he lloks forward to playing with his jazz trio or anyone else that will let him bend their ear.