Tom’s musical roots can be traced back to his grandmother, who played the organ in silent movie theaters. His passion for music spawned at an early age, with the family organ where he taught himself all he could from the books he found in the bench. In grade school he took up the clarinet and was soon improvising solos to old blues records.  Naturally, with high school came girls, football, and rock and roll, and while he started out with a Beatles chord book and acoustic guitar, it was the sultry tones emanating from a 5 string bass that finally won his full attention.

 

Playing in bands with his brother Rick who favored drums, Tom honed his skills first in small clubs, and then branched out into gigs catering to larger audiences on his home Chicago turf. When he felt he needed more, he relocated to California to pursue the promised "big break" that always seemed just around the corner. Stepping out of cover bands and into groups focused on writing and producing original material, Tom's experience continued to strengthen exponentially, even though the promises of big breaks never quite delivered. Eventually tiring of LA Tom moved again to the creative hub of Seattle and carved a niche freelancing in live shows and studio work with numerous local artists and establishing a reputation for himself within the native scene.

 

It was spring of '04 when a mutual acquaintance invited Tom out to audition as bassist for Shadrack. The passion of expression and energy of the band's music struck Tom immediately and when he was extended an invitation to join the following day, he wasted no time in accepting. Led by Duncan Shadrack, the band has developed their own sound and continues to cultivate their personal style of Americana. At home with both the camaraderie and original vision of this new focus, Tom is happy to call Shadrack home base.