This is a question I have wrestled with all my life. (Hey! I'm a wrestler! Nah. Guess not.) My best answer: I'm a magician. And here is why I say that.

I believe in magic – magic that springs from our imagination and our spirit. The magic to create. Create what? Anything. There are no limits. Art, Music, Dance, Theater, software, humor, books, stories, philosophies, scientific discoveries, better lives, better relationships. These are some of my favorites. They are made to be shared with the world- given to others as a gift. These sort of creations have a wonderful side effect- a by-product so to speak. They create joy. You could think of this as the white magic of imagination. The light. Freud called it Eros – the drive to create. The drive toward life.
It is unfortunately true that we can also create other things – fear, lies, pain, humiliation, degradation, crime - you know the list: things created out of selfishness. Perhaps we may call it the black magic. The darkness. Freud called it Thanatos. The drive to destroy. The drive toward death.

Good magic is hard. It takes work and pain. It takes perseverance. It isn’t just a few arcane words muttered in the steam of a cauldron.

But it is definitely worth it.

More detail:

I currently teach photography and drama at North County High School in Linthicum, Maryland.

Music: I have published two CDs of original family oriented music and won awards for some of my music including

• Pirates in the Bath won best children's song at Just Plain Folks and the CD came in 2nd for best children's CD.
• P.U. won the gold in the 2001 Mid Atlantic Songwriters Contest, children's category.
• Other songs that were finalist various years include Prayer of Joy, My Song About the Moon and Chesapeake Time
• Wasington Area Theater Community Honors Sound Design Award for Original soundtrack to Bowie Community Theatre's production of Dearly Departed

Drama: I have written, directed and performed in many productions including:

Directing:

• Colonial Players - Dearly Departed (2001), Christmas Carol (1999), Battle of Shallowford (2006) Cabaret for Kids (1999,2000, 2001, 2004)
• Annapolis Sr. High School - Footloose (2002)
• Bowie Community Theater - Weekend Comedy (1998?)
• Children's Theater of Annapolis - Disney's Beauty and the Beast (2008)

Writing:

• Original Radio Comedy show ongoing(1995-1997)
• Drama Rama finalist - "Life Death and Stuff in the Next Phase"
• Baltimore playwrite festival - production of Saturday Morning Television
• Cabaret for Kids (1999,2000, 2001, 2004)
• Colonial Players of Annapolis production of two of my one acts (summer 2008)

Clippings:

Young at Heart • Cabaret for Kids • Music Man