Gary began playing tuba in high school and studied secondary music education for two years at Southern Oregon State University.He has performed with various groups in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties including Symphony of the Redwoods, Ukiah Symphony, various church groups, wind ensembles and community bands. Gary is the founding member of the Fifth Ave Brass Quintet (1997) and has performed with two other quintets, Touch of Brass and Wine Country Brass. For the past several years he has been part of a large brass group performing for All Saints Day at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.Gary studied Tuba privately with Jim Odell (Boston University), Stew Trunner (Southern Oregon State University), Peter Estabrook (Sonoma State University), Craig Knox(Center City Brass, Hayward State University) and is a band instrument technician, repairing both brass and woodwinds at Stanroy Music Center for the past 20 years.