 His first music lessons of note were drum lessons at the age of thirteen with the legendary drummers Gene Krupa and Cozy Cole.He continued his studies when he entered The Juilliard School of Music in the extension division when he was still in junior and senior high school studying percussion with Morris Goldenberg and Saul Goodman.Between 1960 and 1962 he attended two semesters at Ithaca College to further his percussion studies with Warren Benson.