Casper started playing drums at 6 and switched to bass at 14. He grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains raised on rock, blues, funk, and honky-tonk, then transitioned to jazz and fusion along the way.  In college, he DJ-ed most nights (hip hop & house, which is where he was given the name Casper) and played in bands whenever the chance came up. In the last 30 years, he has played with many bands, from sleeping-in-the-car wannabe tours with a few no-name bands during college to wedding bands in DC and NYC (and everywhere in between) to arena shows with Faramarz Aslani, Shiavash Ghoneyshi, Andy, and many others, and has recorded on 17 albums and a few dozen singles both as a band member and a hired gun. Mostly self taught, but some formal education as well — studying for over seven years with Anthony Wellington, Victor Wooten, Kai Eckhardt, and a few others.

He currently lives in the Denver area with a patient and supportive wife and his two kids.  He can be found around town, playing out from time to time, putting in studio hours, and collaborating on new material.  He can sometimes still be found tinkering on the drums and adding rhythmic spice on a few recordings here and there.

Best musical experience — playing for a Nowruz festival just outside of DC in front of 15,000 people.

Worst musical experience — got hired by a name brand artist to play a gig. As it turns out, I got the privilege to fake playing while a backing track did the dirty work. I did not know that was going to be the deal before showing up at the venue (and had learned all the songs anyway). I would have walked out, but I gave my word, so I pretended to play and they pretended to pay me (stiffing me out a paycheck as icing on the cake).

 

Gear (for those who care):

• Fodera 4 string fretted, 5 string fretless, 5 string fretted
• M Bass 5 string tenor bass
• Epiphani Amplification and Cabinets (Performance 1000 and UL-410, respectively)
• Lexicon MPX-1 effects
• Lexicon JamMan
• XWire wireless