ABOUT US

How did we get here?

My journey into music began at the age of nine. Walking home from elementary school in Watertown, I would hear captivating sounds emanating from a house on School Street. The music was unlike anything I’d ever heard, and I often found myself sitting on the sidewalk, completely absorbed. A year later, my friend Jody brought an album to class by a band called Boston. From the first note, I was hooked. Strangely, I never heard the music from that house again and have always wondered why it stopped.

During the Blizzard of ’78, at the age of 12, my curiosity for electronics took hold. I began taking things apart, driven by a desire to understand what made them tick. This curiosity would become a lifelong passion.

In 1980, my friends and I started a band called ROX, practicing after school in the Watertown High School auditorium. I became obsessed with replicating the signature sound of Boston. By 1982, I had traded my Ibanez TS and Flanger for a Rockman, a game-changer for achieving that tone. From that moment, I was all in.

When my Rockman needed warranty repair, I called Scholz Research & Development (SR&D). They invited me to bring it to their office, and walking in was an unforgettable experience. I was surrounded by platinum records—a musician’s dream. The repair process required me to pick up the unit in Woburn, where all SR&D manufacturing took place. That visit solidified my admiration for the company and its innovations.

After high school, I attended Sylvania Tech in Waltham to study electronics. I began exploring the intersection of music gear and radio communications. When SR&D closed its doors in 1994, I started helping people repair their Rockman gear through word of mouth. Years later, my good friend Tommy Stanizzi encouraged me to create a dedicated webpage, which led to the launch of Rockman Service and Repairs of Massachusetts. It’s a privilege to serve as a custodian of this iconic brand, rooted in the birthplace of SR&D and the Rockman.

In the mid-90s, my interests expanded to pool, and I began working at The Corner Pocket in Waltham. One evening, while working the counter, a gentleman handed me his license to book a table. I was stunned—it was Tom Scholz himself. I couldn’t help but tell him, “Oh no, Mr. Scholz, I don’t need your license. I know who you are.” That conversation, along with getting his autograph, remains a cherished memory.

To this day, I’m inspired by the band Boston and the legendary guitar sound that defined an era. Growing up so close to where it all began is a blessing, and I’m grateful to have played a small part in preserving its legacy.