On the name:  It’s pronounced FRIME ‘n’ WIRE. Sort of rhymes with “I’m on fire”.
 

My background:  I spent 13 years at National Public Radio, having worked with audio since the days of razor blades and reel-to-reel tape players. I studied Music Theory at the University of Michigan School of Music, and Film Scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I’ve worked at recording studios in New York, and radio stations in New Hampshire and North Carolina.
 

Coming to San Francisco:  I can’t wait to discover and dive into the cultural life here; so much to do, so much to see, so much to share.
 

Favorite books:  I tend to like books that drive other people crazy – one of my favorites is Nicholson Baker’s The Mezzanine, which from the first page features extensive footnotes, despite the fact that all the “action” takes place during a 30-second escalator ride during an office-worker’s lunch hour.

Favorite movies: Too many to mention, although Brazil would be near the top.

Hometown: Allentown PA - not at all how Billy Joel described it! - where you can find some of the most wonderful (and strange) Pennsylvania Dutch food goodies; don't worry, I have drastically changed (i.e. improved) my diet since those days!

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, New York. The name, of Native American origin, means “reed-covered lodge by the little watering place.”
 
Education: Undergraduate at MIT, a prospective physics major who ended up a music major (yes, at MIT). My professors included Pulitzer Prize-winning composer John Harbison, who is still a member of the faculty. Graduate school at Yale in music theory.
 
Musical Activities: In addition to radio, teaching at the college level, preconcert lectures for a wide variety of organizations, programming and hosting the classical channel on Delta Airlines, writing music and lyrics, performing on piano and bass, serving as expert witness in music copyright cases.
 
Family: Married to a wonderful and versatile soprano, Karen Benjamin. Son Jake, a terrific jazz vibraphonist and pianist, is at Columbia University. Daughter Molly is in high school and is an amazing singer/songwriter whose career is just taking off. (NOTE: All appraisals of my family’s talent are totally objective.)
 
Favorite composers: So many, but I’ll tell you the top five. Number one is Stravinsky. The next four (in no particular order) are Mozart, Bach, Beethoven and Schubert.
 
Favorite Broadway musical: The King and I
 
Favorite vegetable: Brussels sprouts