TD started playing "actual" drums at age 5, after a brief two-year career beating pots-n-pans. Early inspirations were everywhere including, "electrified" music at church, Buddy Rich on The Tonight Show, and his grandmother taking him to see "The Carpenter's," at 7-years-old. TD was  mesmerized by Karen Carpenter and for the first time was elevated by the music, especially her drum solos. TD's Dad, a truck driver, was a big country music fan who listened to Conway Twitty, Tammy Wynette, Elvis, George Jones and Buck Owens. He took TD to see live performances including twice to the Grand Ole Opry. 

It was in 4th grade TD started taking private lessons and playing in school band including performances at local and state competitions. It was jr high when he started playing in bands with his friends and 10th grade when he quit school band to join a local cover band with members twice his age, a common theme. In 1979 at 16 he started playing in clubs as well as recording an all original demo with his his good friend Blaine Harper in Chicago before joining Duane Eby's all original band, "The Clowns." In college he enrolled in the Purdue music program briefly but between work and gigs there wasn't much time for the "jazz centric"performance program. TD went on to play for some of the top regional bands including; Power Play, The Octopus Club, commercial success with The Misfit Toys who opened for America and The Why Store. TD continues to play select gigs, do session work, innovate products in the musical instrument space and teach lessons to students of all ages.