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teve hails from a large musical family of seven children. He began taking piano lessons at age 8 and picked up the trumpet about a year later. He studied with Don Ramos, Don Downs, Sr., and Ken Laudermilch.

Upon graduating high school, Steve toured Europe with the American Youth Jazz Band. He went on to West Chester University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. He also toured Costa Rica with the Delaware Collegiate Jazz Band during his college years. After teaching and playing in the Philadelphia area, he joined the U.S. Army and became a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg with the 313th Military Intelligence Battalion. While a soldier, he soloed with the Monterey (CA) Orchestra and the Heart of Carolina Jazz Ensemble. He was also active in area theater productions and was a member of the salsa group, La Renacer. Upon leaving the military, he taught junior high band in Fayetteville, NC for three years and played with numerous orchestras, big bands, and small combos in the area.

Steve returned to PA in 1993 to teach band in Boiling Springs, and still directs at Yellow Breeches Middle School. He returned to West Chester University and earned a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance.

He has worked with the Herm Miller Orchestra, The Buzz Jones Big Band, trumpet legend Dave Stahl’s Big Band, the Al Raymond Big Band, The Rocky Birely Orchestra, Big Band Nostalgia, the Bob Clay Orchestra, and the Next Generation Big Band. He also performed the Haydn Trumpet Concerto as the guest soloist with the West Shore Symphony in 2000. In 2002, Steve toured France and Switzerland as guest cornet soloist with the Gettysburg College Wind Ensemble, and lead trumpet in their jazz band. Steve also has worked with numerous variety groups to include the Neil Wright Band and the Tim Heineman Band. He is also a former member of the 70s funk band Echelon. Steve has also played many shows that have come to the Hershey Theater and the American Music Theater, working with numerous celebrities including Martha and the Vandellas, Frankie Avalon, Neil Sedaka, The Temptations, and Bobby Rydell.

Despite his playing experience, Steve first considers himself a teacher. In addition to his public school teaching, he also is the trumpet professor at Dickinson College. He is a member of the faculty brass quintet, and leads the faculty jazz quartet. He has guest conducted several honors bands in the Central PA area, and has served as a clinician for jazz improvisation labs at the high school and college level. Steve has written numerous arrangements and original compositions for brass quintet, concert band, big band, and brass ensemble. Many of these pieces are in the books of area big bands, and his arrangement of Trumpet Fiesta was performed by the Sound of America Concert Band throughout Europe.

Steve considers himself lucky to have met so many good and talented people doing what he loves. His hope is to instill the love of music in his students. He has two adult sons, Tom and Chris, who are also very musical. In his spare time, he likes to spend time at any beach with Dianne.