David started playing blues and rock on guitar at an early age and still occasionally plays with with local blues band Night Train. Became interested in folk music after attending Winfield in 1976. He became a member of Kansas City's only Irish band Talisman in 1980 which featured Gerald Trimble. After Talisman David was one of the founding members of Scartaglen along with Mike Dugger and Roger Landes. The group grew to include many musicians such as Dave Brown, Frank Martin, Matt Kirby, Connie Dover and Kathy Agee. Later after David and Kathy left the group the band added Keith Van Winkle, Kirk Lynch and Rebecca Pringle. David and Kathy started a family and played locally with guitarist and singer John Morgan in Glen Eyrie for about seven or eight years. Then David and Kathy started a band with Bill and Sandy Jackson and John Hubbard called Blackthorne. David went on to play with Doug Goodhart and Kelly Werts with The Shoe String Band playing music from The Appalachian Mountains. Then David was invited to play with the Irish band Kelly which featured singer Kelly Dougherty.The band included All Ireland flute player Turlach Boylan, Mike Dugger and Mason Brown. Later Gordon Bearss, Kaylee Thomas, Julian Lambertson and Joseph Carmichael were added. Kelly performed many times at The Kansas City Irish Festival, Browne's Irish Street Faire and The Kansas City Highland Games. We also performed at The Dublin Irish Festival, Celtic Fest Mississippi, Quad City Irish Festival and The North Texas Irish Festival where we opened for Altan. Currently David plays with Eddie Edwards, Leslie Jabara and Kelly Bohling in Scarlet Town. They are performing multiple world folk traditions plus original songs and tunes. David teaches a number of students Irish and other folk styles privately at his home. David and Eddie also teach an Irish music class on Tuesday evenings at The Irish Center of Kansas City in Union Station.