Composing music for the theater was meant to be.
David’s composition skills combined with a love of theater have allowed him to have a unique and successful career as a theater composer. David has served as Production Manager for PCPA Theaterfest and Managing Director for George Coates Performance Works. Since 1986, David has been composing original theater music for theaters around California including Pacific Repertory Theater (Carmel, CA), PCPA Theaterfest (Santa Maria, CA), Prospect Theater Project (Modesto, CA), Jewell Theater (Santa Cruz, CA) and San Jose State University (San Jose, CA).
From the musical landscapes created in classically-themed Cyrano and Sense and Sensibility to the pulsing electronica of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time and the ragged rock-n-roll of The Seafarers, there is no genre David won't dive into.
From the moment he heard his brother Steve play “Meet The Beatles" on the family's only record player in 1964, it all made sense.
And this is what followed:
Drum lessons and honor orchestra as a kid in love with Ringo's impeccable playing.
Exploring his other brother Tom's ever expanding record collection including The Rolling Stones, The Doors, Keef Hartley Band, Grateful Dead, and The Allman Brothers Band.
Then on to piano lessons in high school with Biff Smith introducing him to Bill Evans’ work on Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue".
Guitar chords, jamming, and college rock band antics in pursuit of Dickie Betts, Jerry Garcia, and Larry Carlton's pure tones.
Discovering Frank Zappa's compositional skills and complex polyrhythmic melodies, not to mention finding inspiration in Aaron Copeland’s lyricism, Philip Glass & Steven Reich's melodic repetition and theater composer Larry Delinger's mentorship.
All supported by his father's love affair with Louis Armstrong and his mother's unwavering demand to pursue a life in the arts if that is what you love. Composing music for the theater was meant to be.
