about me
I'm Tom.
My first passion is drums - especially West African Djembe and Dunun rhythms. In 2016, I built and released an iOS app called djembeföla! for my mentor and teacher, Mamady Keïta. It took over 3 years to build, and I'm really proud of it, so I wanted to share it here. Since its release in 2016, it's had over 1/4 million downloads.
I've been working on it again, and in Fall 2024 I'll be releasing the 'droid version (full link soon) as well as a major update, including over 5 dozen Mamady Keïta Original rhythms, which will double the # of rhythms available. Please check it out and let me know what you think:
I also augment my income as a Production Sound Mixer for the motion picture industry.
I started over 25 years ago, and had no idea what I was doing, but my good friend Brian Crain took a chance on me, and I learned quickly.
The industry has changed a lot since I started, and it's exciting to see where it's headed. Here I am with my new state of the art mini-cart, complete with its very own bananatenna:
(My camera dept. friend says it's just a "forced perspective" thing?
Anyhow, I love the challenge production sound presents. It's taught me a lot -- especially how to be part of a team, working toward a common goal. It's amazing what you can do when you work together. As difficult as the job gets sometimes, I consider myself blessed to have such an opportunity. I'm always learning, but I also feel compelled to start sharing some of the knowledge I've acquired over the years. To this end, I'll be posting to my blog when I can. Please visit frequently, and feel free to ask me anything -- I'll give you my best answer ; )