I made an attempt to get into California State University in Northridge, but I was formally considered an "out of state" student now.  I could never afford to pay out of state tuition fees.  I was going to have to move back home with Mom and Dad in Maryland.

Mom and Dad were happy to have me come home.  They got the paperwork going and I hit the road, getting back to Maryland just in time to start the Winter 1971 semester at the University of Maryland in College Park.

When the family moved to College Park, MD when I was in High School, I always felt it was temporary.  This time I knew I was here for a while.  At least 4 years of University and then, who knows...

Mom and Dad had prepared my room and dad built me one of his famous "file cabinet" desks.  What is a file cabinet desk, you ask?  You take a door, cover it with formica and place it across two 2 drawer file cabinets.  Instant desk.  I don't really know when he first started building them, but I built dozens of them over the years.  Some got pretty exotic when I had my company, VIFX. It was a good way to build lots of nice looking workstations for a small amount of money.

I enrolled in the University of Maryland as a Music Voice Major.  The beginning of my music career. 

For the first semester, I just attended class and got used to the academic life.  My program didn't require that I take too many classes outside my major and for that I was happy.

While at Maryland (that's what everyone called the University) I met many new friends and re-generated my friendship with a couple of my friends from High Point.  Particularly, I started spending time with Ken Myers.  Ken and I had a lot in common and our friendship continued through college.

The Chorus at Maryland also introduced me to many new friends.  Bob Cornett, Chris Hagan (I had a little fling with her in those days) were the most significant.  I am still in touch with Bob but haven't heard from Chris for many years.  In the television department where I eventually took a staff position, I met Dan Mayer and Jerry Cesak with whom I would start our pirate radio station, WOCR in 1973.  My WOCR experience also introduced me to two other people with which I have had a long and important friendship.  Greg Kozikowski and Richard Friedel.  They have their own pages as does Steve Howard.  I met Steve at the RTVF department at Maryland.  Steve, was one of the most important mentors to me as I learned about television and film.  Sometimes I wonder where I would be today if I had not met Steve.

And, of course, at the University I would meet the love of my life, Rhonda Gunner.  Rhonda was a student at the University in the Radio Television Film Division "RTVF".  She was a great mystery to me.  She was extremely quiet, had dark hair and a serious look.  I fell in love with her at first sight.  I would have never guessed that she would have any interest in me so I kept my feelings to myself.  It was not until we were working on some project late one evening that she let me know that she was interested.  We became serious from that point on.

During the early 70's I kept plugging away at my music program at school and took on about as many jobs as I could.  I sang at several churches, worked as a painter, a carpenter, worked at the University and even got a job at the local TV station, WTOP.  One of the most interesting music jobs I had was when I became the Cantor at the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception, in Washington DC.

I kept wondering what I was going to do with myself.  One day, I had always been interested in audio.  

Around 1975, I started working full time at the University of Maryland.  I had quite an aptitude for the work going on in the Television Center and when the guy in charge, Jeff Matthews, decided to leave and work at CBS, I was offered his position.  This was perfect as I could continue my music study, tuition free, and make some money as well.  I was finally self supporting.

I was driven to be independent.