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I have been playing drums as far back as I
can remember. I guess that means I’ve been playing for 25+ years. I
remember going through two or three “play” drum
sets, and then
one Christmas, I received my first “real” kit (no hi-hat though!!) It was
a red-sparkle finish that my parents bought for me at D.S. Andrews, a local music store
here in Williamsport, PA. After that, I gladly received two other Ludwig Oyster
Black drum sets from my Dad (yes...he bought new ones for himself...what was up with
that?)
The first time I can remember playing 
in front of anyone in public has to be around the age of 10. I
would get a chance to 
sit-in with the band my Dad was in at the time, at an annual St.
Patrick’s Day bash, which was held at McGrady’s Irish Inn in my hometown of
South Williamsport, PA (home of the "Little League World Series.")
Playing drums seemed to come quite naturally for me. I guess
since my Dad could always play “by-ear”, it was just something I inherited
somehow. He played drums from the time he was a sophomore in high school too.
Starting in the fifth grade, I
began to take formal lessons and learn to read music, something to this day that has
proven to be very helpful to me, even though I could play a drum kit. I wanted to
see and understand what exactly it was that I had been playing. And so it
went…elementary band, junior high marching and concert band and finally, four years
of high school marching and concert band seasons. In high school, as I freshmen, I
made it straight to the snare drum line. A task at the time I had no idea as to what
that really meant. All I knew was that the other three upperclassmen weren’t to
keen to a freshmen making it straight there. However, I soon proved to them I could
handle the chops and 
things smoothed out. I 
must
credit three people here. My elementary school band director, Mr. Paul Seifrit (who
passed away several years ago), my high school band director for my final two years
at South Williamsport, Mr. Chuck Hall, and Mr. Bob Leidhecker, who was student-teaching at
South during my last two years there. They all instilled in me the value of hard
work, and also in learning to really understand music beyond just playing it and not
knowing what exactly is going on while you’re playing it.
In my junior year I got a call
from Don Farnsworth, a very well-know country music singer in my area, with whom my Dad
worked with for about a year or so. He called and asked me to fill in a few gigs
with him. This went on all during my last two years of high school.
After I graduated in 1985, he
called and offered me a full-time gig with his band, “Country 
Gold.” We
played American Legions, VFW’s, carnivals, bars, weddings...even square dances.
But, all I cared about was the fact that I got to play virtually every weekend, two or
three times….and I got paid real money!! It was around that time I bought my
first set with my own money! I bought a set of Yamaha Tour Custom (Black Finish)
from Big Daddy’s Music in Montoursville, PA.
I played two stints with
“Country Gold” (1985 -1988 and 1990-1994). Between those stints, I
gigged with various local bands filling in and helping bands out. That too was
fun because I was playing R&B, oldies, and other stuff besides country music.
In late 1988 the band my Dad
was playing with, “TC and the VIPs”, asked me to play when my Dad suddenly
found himself working night shift at the local factory. That gig was a wake-up
call! We played 5 nights straight at the Golden Apple Lounge, which was in the
Econo-Lodge Hotel. These guys played all kinds of stuff! Everything from Lenny
Welsh’s “Since I Fell For You”, all the way to Waylon & Willie’s
“Good Hearted Woman!” The two brothers in the band that time (Tony
Caschera “TC” and Mike Caschera), both turned around and told me something right
after the second tune of the night that probably has been one of the greatest pieces of
advice ever given to me. They told me, “You drive the band and don’t
let the band drive you.” I’ve never forgotten that, and that has been my
mind set ever since!
When “Country Gold”
disbanded in 1994 (due to Don’s urge to “retire” and go RVing), I
co-founded MY first band. 
“Neon
Cactus” was central PA’s most in demand country music band from the Fall of 1994
thru Winter of 
2001. We started small and ended up being a six-piece unit with three CDs, a handful
of opening slots with Merle Haggard, Tracy Byrd, Collin Raye, The Bellamy Brothers and
several others. We capped off our run with a win over several hundred bands, at the
2001 “StarQuest” competition and captured the chance to appear at the Capital
Music Hall in Wheeling, WV (home of Jamboree USA - the longest running country music radio
show next to the Grand Ole Opry), and landed our own 45 minute set at the 2001 edition of
“Jamboree In The Hills” - The Super Bowl of Country Music. That was
awesome!!! We played on a Sunday morning and to a crowd of at least 50,000 fans.
By the end of the fourth day there had been close to 200,000 people in
attendance. We saw some great stars up close! Joe Diffie, Terri Clark, Lee Ann
Womack, Alan Jackson, Ronnie Milsap and to many more than I can even think of right
now!! Neal McCoy was extremely complimentary to our show, which made us feel really
good!
While gigging with “Neon
Cactus”, I did manage to squeeze in some brief “touring”, if you call it
that, with “Johnny Counterfit - the 
Rich Little of Nashville”...who is
VERY entertaining. Also, one short stint of dates with “Tommy Cash”...yes,
Johnny’s brother. They were both very nice to me personally and
professionally. I had the opportunity to see some unique things that I never would
have otherwise on some off-days. The Oklahoma City National Memorial site
where the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building once stood and the Napa Valley Wine &
Grape Festival in Lodi, CA was pretty cool too!!
I also have been pretty lucky
to get some recording projects come my way. Most recently, a 
session that I did with Davy Jones (The
Monkees) 
has been
released on “Just Me 2."
So far only one track has made it, but hopefully a few more will see the light of
day some time. Other albums I have worked on include “Deeper Down/Ben Kaplan
and We Don’t Monkey Around/Alice Weiler. The latter is a children’s album,
which I am quite glad I had a chance to do! In September 1996 I was fortunate
enough to appear in a profile in "Modern Drummer Magazine" in their "On The
Move" column.
I decided to leave “Neon Cactus” in early 2002. Ray
and Randy Cramer of the “Cramer Brothers Band" (CBB) called me and asked
me to fill-in a few dates for
them as they were in need of a full-time drummer. 
I had seen them both several times
before, but never really had a chance to talk to or to meet them. I think they
had heard me play once or twice with “Neon Cactus.” So I played a date
with them at Camelback Ski Resort and I think I helped them out with a post 911 fundraiser
in East Stroudsburg, PA. They offered me a spot and I had to take it. I
remember seeing the brothers with “Shucks” and thinking how cool it would be to
get a chance to play with them. It’s still hard to believe I get to do it
now! Who would have thought.…..??!!
I would have to say that
playing with the musicians in the CBB is probably the best thing that I will ever end up
doing. Each guy is individually talented and it makes playing really fun and
easy. We have played many shows and I hope there are many more to come.
Currently, while still playing with the CBB, I've also been working with a local
band from my hometown, Williamsport. They are called "Prince Charles & The
Royaltones." It's a heck of a lot of fun and the 11 piece band has a trio of smoking
singers, a tight rhythm section and a killer horn section! The material ranges from
"Chicago" to "Blood, Sweat & Tears", to disco classics of the 80's
by "KC & The Sunshine Band."
In addition, I am also working with Ryan Pelton, on
e of the best "Elvis" Tribute Shows in the county. It's
been great getting to work with him and play some of my all time favorites by EP and
getting to try and play like my favorite drummer, Ronnie Tutt. I've met some really great
players too; along with working with two other great Elvis shows of Jim Barone - 'The
Heart of Elvis' and Doug Church - 'The Voice of Elvis.'
I'm lucky to be where I am musically. Hopefully, things will continue to stay busy for me and I'll be able to balance it all. Hope to see you somewhere at a gig soon!
I don’t think it could get any better
than this, unless I did move to Nashville...
YEE-HAW!
TCB,
Bill