I’ve always been both plagued and blessed by too many interests as there never seems to be enough time to satisfy all of my interests. This problem first surfaced when I was in elementary school and really blossomed when I was about 15 or 16 years old when I became fascinated with amateur radio. The idea of being able to converse with people around the globe without wires captured my interest. I was first licensed in 1965 as a Novice class amateur radio operator with WN3EIQ as a call sign. My first transmitter was home built from scrounged old TV parts built on a cake pan chassis and based on an article in Electronics Illustrated magazine. I think the receiver was a borrowed Hallicrafters S38. My parents were supportive of my pursuit of music and electronics and proceeded to buy me several kits by Allied Electronics – Span Master receiver, a CB (KKG1701 call sign assigned to my father since I was too young to qualify) and eventually a HeathKit HR10 ham band receiver. I advanced to General class (WA3EIQ) a year or so after getting my Novice license and before entering the Eastman School of Music as a music education major.

​

I earned the BM in music education at ESM and stayed in NY to teach Junior Hich School in Oneonta. I then changed my call sign as required by law then to WA2LSK. Returning to Rochester, NY for further graduate studies in 1974, I earned the MM in Jazz Studies and Contemporary Media in 1976 and moved to Cedar Falls, IA to become director of jazz studies at the University of Northern Iowa. Once again my call changed to WB0WAG. I stayed there for 4 years before moving to the University of Texas in Austin where I remained for 21 years. In Austin I earned the Extra class license and assumed the vanity call W5JAZ. I returned to the East Coast (born and raised in suburban Philadelphia) becoming Dean of the College of Performing Arts at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia in 2002, retiring as professor emeritus in 2012. When we moved to NJ I was fortunate to change my prefix to W2 while retaining the suffix. 

​

Somehow between juggling a career and several hobbies, I've published 5 books on jazz, composed and arranged well over 100 titles, performed with Lionel Hampton and Chuck Mangione among many others, and released a number of recordings. I am a member and serve on the board of the SJRA CLUB (South Jersey Radio Association) as vice president and currently president of the oldest continuously meeting amateur radio club in the northern hemisphere. 

​

I am proud to be a member of the CWOPS club https://cwops.org/  (member # 2239) as well and participate in CWT events as often as possible.  I am also a member of the North American QRP CW Club  http://naqcc.info/ - member number 7593. 

​

I enjoy nearly all aspects of this great hobby including QRP (low power) and satellite operation as well as EME (Earth Moon Earth or Moon Bounce), which I eventually had to abandon because of increasing noise on 2 meters and obstacles including 70+ trees.