David

I've been a public school history teacher since 1999 and am also a multi-instrumental musician and voice over specialist. I was classically trained in percussion at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

In 1978, I co-produced musical performances by forming a musical production company called "Out To Lunch Productions" at UCSC's Cowell College with my roommate. I joined the New Wave group JJ-180 as drummer in 1978 while a student at UCSC. JJ-180 would briefly change its name to The Realtors before the National Association of Realtors persuaded the band to revert to the band's original name after releasing a four song EP called "Buy or Beware."

After obtaining a B.A. in Sociology from UCSC in 1982, I obtained a Master's Degree in Radio/TV from SF State in 1986. I also won the Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award from the University of San Francisco in 1994.

As a self-trained guitarist, I've composed and produced several independent recordings, a cassette called "Our Better Relationship," a CD called "Friendship," and have over 40 songs on ITunes and CD Baby. I was a founding member and drummer for The Roger Steen Band from 2006-2013. In February, 2014 I released a new solo CD called "Guilt By Association" which contains the original 1979 recording by The Realtors. In 2017, I released the 16 song project RAPSTERDAM https://www.youtube.com/user/rapimus

As a published author, I've placed interviews I conducted in the U.S Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection. My focus as an educator is on primary sources.

I want my language students to express themselves more dynamically, thus standing out amidst the vastly changing competitive job market. Improving writing and diction may not only improve employment but improve personal disposition, as a writer may equip him or herself to make their own analysis of the world around them with the goal of achieving some degree of self-determination. There’s something magical about guiding someone through tutoring into a set of experiences so that they can figure out the world around them analytically. In my personal life, my teachers were those guides and they were lifechanging. I like to think that I am simply returning the favor by equipping students with skills in order to be successful and feel good about themselves. Musically, there is nothing more magical than transmitting new forms of musical expression and sharing songs. My strength in working with music students involves syncopation.