Tom got started on guitar at age 13 with the help his friend, Paul Palumbo, who Tom describes as an “immensely talented musician”.   With Paul’s help, Tom quickly learned how to play his first guitar – a $90 slab of wood with a warped neck.  As things go in the guitar world, the quest for a “real guitar” soon began.  That quest ended with Gibson Les Paul, and since then, Tom’s main guitar has always been a Les Paul.  Tom’s first “real teacher” was Alyn Syms (of ASG and Rick James fame).  Alyn kept Tom going with lessons that focused on musical stylings of Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.  Tom is forever indebted to Paul and Alyn for the inspiration they provided.  As a teenager in the early 1980s, Tom was exposed to a variety of music, but preference was given to anything with raw, great-sounding guitar.  During the “early years”, Tom’s go-to albums included Live Rust, Live at Leeds, Exit Stage Left, and anything with Jimmy Page or EVH.  Tom also discovered that he could tune-in to alternative radio stations from Toronto which allowed for an endless supply of reggae and punk.  This “new” music supplemented Tom’s daily dose of classic rock, and formed the foundation of Tom’s musical soul.  In the summer of 1983, Tom’s family moved from Buffalo to Rochester which is when Tom started jamming with drummer, neighbor and life-long friend, Jeff Pettrone.  The guitar was “given a rest” for several years, as college, law school, career and family were the priorities of the time.  Once “life” was in place, Tom and his guitar were reunited when long-time friends, Angelo Rose and Jeff Pettrone invited Tom to an informal jam session.   That session sparked the beginning of what it is now the Good Trip Band.