I am an optometrist originally from Newton, Mass. right outside of Boston, happily relocated in lovely Aiken, South Carolina. My passionate guitar style borrows most gratefully from the sounds of Robin Trower, that of Jeff Beck, Clapton, and later, of Eric Johnson, Tommy Emmanuel, and Joe Satriani. Trower is, of course, one of the original members of Procol Harum, the classically oriented British rock band that's wielded enormous influence throughout my life both musically and creatively. I am self-taught and also play keyboards, bass and mandolin. I write and record in my home studio when not examining eyes.
I have played in many different bands and musicals. I played and recorded with Steve Gatlin of the Gatlin Brothers, Percy Sledge, and Rich Little to name a few. My band, Lo Down Brown, plays great classic rock along with a variety of other styles. Some of my musical highlights included playing with the Palers' Band for Procol Harum in Los Angeles in July 2003, again in Denmark in August of 2006, and playing at the 40th Anniversary Festivities of Procol Harum at St. John's, Smith Square, in London of July, 2007, opening for Procol Harum.
One of my good friends, Rockette Morton (Mark Boston) from the legendary progressive band Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band contributes his inimitable bass to my track "All Our Dreams Are Sold."
Musical Biography
I started my first band at the age of 9, soon after teaching myself very basic organ. This fledgling group played “The House of the Rising Sun” at summer camp in New Hampshire and finished second in a talent contest won by a baseball wonderchild who could recall any given player from any team from any game or era. What a start to a life of passionate musical pursuit!
I started my current band, Lo Down Brown, in 2003 and it has gained a popular following, playing in various clubs, special events, and musicals from Washington DC to Hilton Head. I play guitar and keyboards and sing harmonies in the band.
My more recent musical experiences include:
Myrtle Beach, SC
1993-1994 Carolina Gold
1994-1995 Michael Ryan Band Afterdeck: opened for Night Ranger
1994-1995 Chill Factor
1996 Film at 11
1995-1997 Silver Beach Wagon
1996-1999 various weddings keyboards
1996 Percy Sledge keyboards - Crossroads Night Club
1996 "Elvis & Patsy Cline Show" bass guitar
1996-1997 Rich Little Show bass guitar, keyboards, Gatlin Brother’s Theatre - 85 shows
1997 "Working" keyboards – Coastal Carolina Community College
1998 Steve Gatlin Show keyboards, guitar – Gatlin Brothers' Theatre - 115 shows
Hollywood, CA
2003 Palers' Band (Procol Harum tribute band) lead guitar, bass, keyboards
BB King's Club, CityWalk at Universal Studios
Procol Harum 4-day musical festival
Aiken, SC
2002 "Working" guitar
2003 "Viva Heart Vegas" keyboards
2003 "Company" guitar
2003 "Best of Broadway" guitar - Hopeland Gardens
2003-2004 Moonlighters guitar, keyboards – various clubs, events
2003 Bobby Tuba’s Dixieland Band keyboards – St. Luke’s Methodist Church
2003 "Sound of Music" guitar, mandolin
2003-2005 St. John’s Christmas Concert classical guitar
2003-present; Lo Down Brown lead guitar, keyboards – classic rock, various clubs,
weddings, receptions, parties from Aiken to Hilton Head to Washington, DC
2004 "Heart Diamond #735" keyboards
2004 "Quilters" guitar, mandolin
2004 "Best of Broadway" guitar
2004 "Always… Patsy Cline" keyboards
2004 "Tony 'N Tina’s Wedding" keyboards, guitar
2004 "Annie Get Your Gun" guitar
2005 "Girl's Night Out" keyboards, flamenco guitar
2005 "Little Shop of Horrors" keyboards - Aiken Playhouse
2006 "Heartville: 28 Miles" keyboards, guitar
Lejre, Denmark
2006 Palers' Band (Procol Harum tribute band) lead guitar, bass, keyboards
The Domus Felix, Lejre, Denmark, Procol Harum 4-day musical festival
Aiken, SC
2006 "Smokey Joe's Cafe" keyboards - Aiken Playhouse
2006 "Fiddler on the Roof" mandolin, guitar
2007 "Heart 500" keyboards, guitar
2007 "The Robber Bridegroom" guitar
London, England
2007 Palers' Band & Palers' Project lead guitar, bass, keyboards
St. John's, Smith Square Procol Harum's 40th Anniversary Celebrations
Aiken, SC
2008 "Take 30" - keyboards, guitar
2008 "Always… Patsy Cline" keyboards
2009 "The 1958 Heartberry Fair" keyboards
2009 "Tony 'N Tina’s Wedding" keyboards, guitar
2010 "Aiken's Most Excellent Adventure" keyboards, mandolin, guitar
Educational Background
1972 Dennis-Yarmouth Reg. High National Honor Society
1976 Univ. of Mass, Amherst B.S. - Zoology, magna cum laude
1983 New England College of Optometry O.D. Boston, Mass.
Honors and Awards:
Gerald S. Davis Scholarship (Massachusetts Society of Optometry)
Grossman Scholarship
Publications:
Modification of the Arginines in Parathyroid Hormone: Effect on Biological Activity , Rosenblatt, M., Shepard, G.L.,
Chemical Synthesis of the Precursor-specific Region of Pre-Proparathyroid Hormone , Rosenblatt, M., Habener, J.F.,
Human Parathyroid Hormone: Synthesis and Chemical, Biological, and Immunological Evaluation of the Carboxyl-Terminal Region , Rosenblatt, M., Segre, G.V., Tregear, G.W., Shepard, G.L.,
Binding to the Parathyroid Hormone Receptor: Delineation of Structural Determinants in the Amino-Terminal Region of the Molecule Necessary for Binding , Rosenblatt, M., Segre, G.V., Shepard, G.L.,
Parathyroid Hormone Inhibitors, Determination of minimum sequence requirements, Mahaffey, J.E., Rosenblatt, M., Shepard, G.L., & Potts, J.T. Jr.. The Journal of Biological Chemistry (1979) 254 (14), 6494-6498.
Concanavilin A reactivity and carbohydrate structure of Blattella germanica vitellin. J. G., Kunkel, G. L. Shepard, R. A. McCarthy, D. Ethier and J. H. Nordin. Insect Biochem (1980) 10: 703-714.
Identification of a Receptor-Binding Region in Parathyroid Hormone , Rosenblatt, M., Segre, G.V., Tyler, G.A., Shepard, G.L., Nussbaum, S.R., & Potts, J.T. Jr.. Endocrinology (1980) 107 (2), 545-550.
Comparison of Two Solid-Phase Peptide Syntheses of a 32-Amino Acid Carboxyl-Terminal Fragment of Human Parathyroid Hormone, hPTH-(54-84) , Rosenblatt, M., Tregear, G.W., Shepard, G.L., Tyler, G.A., Veroni, M., & Potts, J.T. Jr.. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics (1980) 199 (1), 286-296.
Professional Societies
Midlands Optometric Society member South Carolina Optometric Association member American Optometric Association member BMI musical association member
Legislative District Coordinator in optometry for the Aiken area.
Family
I have two beautiful children, Becky and Alex, one handsome and adorable grandson, Sebastian, and his gorgeous, Amelie, a cutie pie born in 2005.
Becky, Sebastian, and Amelie live on a wonderful nature-lovers' paradise off the coast of Vancouver, British Columbia. With husband/father Paul Niedzella they built the first cob house on picturesque Salt Spring Island. Please visit their website at ravenisle.com for pictures and stories of their wonderful adventures.
Alex lives in Buffalo, NY with his mother and step-father. He is saltututorian at St. Mary's School for the deaf and has just begun college at the Rochester Institute of Technology.