Teaching Career:
Dave taught for 35 years in the Rochester and Buffalo, NY City School Districts.
The last 18 years were spent at the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts, an Audition only Performing Arts Magnet school.

Responsibilities at The Academy for Visual and Performing Arts:

  • Director Top Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Trombone Choir & Jazz Combos
  • Teaching Brass Lessons
  • Teaching Music Theory (Levels 1-3) & Senior Level Music History
  • Conducting School Musicals
  • Music Department Chair – 5 years
  • The first Buffalo Jazz Ensemble to perform at the Rochester International Jazz Festival – 3 years (2010, 2011, 2012)

Other Responsibilities:

  • 2 years Adjunct conducting the Canisius College Jazz Ensemble (Buffalo, NY)
  • 3 years BPO Community Outreach Committee member & Liaison between Buffalo Philharmonic, Canisius College and Buffalo Public Schools.

Guest Conductor:

  • Erie County All -County Jazz Ensemble
  • 2016 Finger Lakes All-County Jazz Ensemble
  • 2010 Rochester All-City Concert Band
  • 2005 Commissioned by Finger Lakes All-County to compose new work for the All-County Middle School Jazz Ensemble
  • 2020. Initial conductor of “Turk Was A Dancer”

Education:

  • BS in Music Education – Nazareth College of Rochester MM in Trombone Performance
  • University at Buffalo Assorted classes in Theory, Classical, Jazz and Arranging

Eastman School of Music – Studied Jazz With:

  • Kai Winding
  • Al Grey
  • Rob McConnell
  • Ashley Alexander
  • Jiggs Wigham

Performed with and/or wrote for the following performers:

  • Gino Vannelli, Bobby Vinton, Frankie Valli,The Temptations, The Four Tops, Wayne Newton, Dennis Tofano of The Buckinghams, Bobby Rydell, Lou Christy, Deanna Martin, The Scintas, Howard Johnson, Wayne Andre, Tom “Bones” Malone, Chris Vadala, Urbie Green, Joe Romano, Butch Morris,Fred Wesley, T, Roscoe Mitchell Large Ensemble, Bill Cosby, B.I.O. ( Buffalo Improvisatory Orchestra), Russell Tompkins, Jay Proctor, Unusually Different ( A Sun Ra Tribute Band ), Dave Kayne & The Western NY Jazz Orchestra, Rusted Root, Blue Oyster Cult, Trumpeter Paul Smoker, Jay White (Neal Diamond Impersonator), Gary Puckett, The Buckinghams, Orchestral Productions (Tribute to the `60`s with Gary Puckett), The Unity Band -Tribute to James Brown, The Greece Symphony -Principal Trombone (1978 -2016), Taylor Ho Bynum Double Sextet, The Legendary Dukes (Classic R&B/Soul -16 Years) , Roosevelt Dean & The Spellbinders (5 years)