​About Nick

​​

• Home town is Poughkeepsie, NY

• P.E. Teacher at a special education school in NYC

• Married with two daughters

• My biggest drummer influences are Neil Peart (Rush), Carter Beauford (Dave Matthews Band), and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater)

 

 

I got into drumming when I was 15.  Before that I had only heard whatever music was playing in places I went.  I was not buying any albums and completely missed the music of my childhood.  The main reason for this was most of what would be played on the bus to school on K-104 for example, would just be the girl and boy groups of the 90’s; so naturally I thought that was all there was.  I was wrong.  About a year before playing the drums I started to get into classic rock.  The Who, CCR, Rush, AC/DC, Styx, Def Leppard were some of my first influences.  I started buying the greatest hits of so many bands and then for the ones I really liked I would start with their first album and then work my way through the catalogue. 

 

Shortly after, my younger brother got a drum set and promptly gave it up a few months later.  It was just sitting there and I thought I would give it a go.  The first song I tried to play was the extended version of YYZ by Rush (from the live album Exit Stage Left) with the added drum solo in the middle of it.  I thought that if I could play the best I could play anything.  The first song I got a descent grasp of and was starting to actually make music was TNT by AC/DC a few days later.  From then on, I played about three hours almost every day.  I progressed quickly because of all that practice and the style of music I was playing pushed my abilities.  I was entirely self-taught, and this was before YouTube, so I had very little video to go off of. 

 

My first band was a jam band at Castleton University in Vermont, consisting of 4-8 people (depending on the day) called Truffle Shuffle.  Before and after a couple small projects were started but did not amount to anything.  I later was in an original Christian Rock band called No Offense.  We played around a bit and had some descent material.  I then got my first teaching job in Sullivan County and thus could not continue with them. 

 

A couple years later in Beacon, NY I formed the first version of Run For Cover.  It consisted of myself, a singer and a guitarist.  We endlessly searched for a bassist.  We finally found one who was the stuff of legends, but not so much in a good way.  The guitarist took up singing duties after we parted ways with the singer and we played many shows around the Hudson Valley as a three piece.  We eventually broke up due to life but I still wanted to keep playing.  I luckily found these guys and we have been playing ever since April of 2018.    Discovering the music of the 1990’s and 2000’s and playing it live with this band has been a rewarding experience.  I had a lot of catching up to do.  I still get laughed at when they bring up a song to do and I have never even heard of it.

 

 Along the way I also picked up guitar, bass, and piano however the drums remain my true passion.  I thrive on the physical aspect of the instrument which fits in with my athletic background.  Combining this with a big crowd that is all into it is a privilege to me.  A life without it would be hard to imagine.