Tom’s original musical passion was not as a drummer but as a lead vocalist. Tom struggled mightily as a lead vocalist, failing many auditions including an audition for the first season of American Idol where his rendition of Barbara Streisand’s Evergreen was so bad that even Paula Abdul was quoted as saying, “Thanks to you I now have a neurological association to that song that will now induce spontaneous and simultaneous expulsions from every orifice in my body. Thanks a lot you b@st@rd.” Night after night, audition after audition, rejection after rejection, Tom would go home in defeat, bury his face in his pillow and sob. After a while the rejections bothered Tom so badly that he would resort to punching his pillow, pretending the pillow was the last person who rejected him. This went on for some time until one night Tom had an epiphany. He found himself stimulated by the rhythmic pounding on his pillow. It was then that Tom decided that drumming was his calling. He honed his skills for many years and enjoyed several successful bands. Along with large doses of Paxil and tequila it is music that makes Tom the happiest.