Fred started playing trumpet in fourth grade in the public schools in upstate New York. After failing to learn three notes in four months, he came home one day with a note from his teacher recommending he drop the instrument. He stuck with it, though, and went on to play in All State orchestras and bands. In college he performed in the Eastman School of Music jazz ensemble under the direction of Bill Dobbins and the University of Rochester orchestra under Isaiah Jackson. After an extended hiatus to raise kids and have a career, he started up again a few years ago in the Jazz House program in Montclair, where he studied with Ted Chubb, Anton Denner, Oscar Perez and Jennifer Vincent. He performs frequently in the New York metropolitan area. By day he is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Scientific American, The New York Times and many other venues.