Dennis began playing trumpet at age 10 near Columbus, Ohio under Dan Narocki. After moving to Tulsa, OK with his family Dennis switched to the baritone horn in middle school. His family moved to San Jose in 1967 He is a graduate of Cupertino High School where he was a member of the marching band playing baritone and concert band playing French horn under the direction of Robert Gomez.
Dennis then attended San Jose State University. He was a member of the SJS Marching Band from 1969 through 1973 under the direction of Dr. Roger Muzzy. His musical education there included theory and ear training. He also took classes in Jazz History and 20th Century Music from Dr. Dwight Cannon.
After 30 years of not playing, friends convinced Dennis to return to trumpet playing in the Cupertino Symphonic Band conducted by Jason McChristian. His love of jazz trumpet has led him to play with two big bands in San Jose including five performances at the annual San Jose Jazzfest. One of Dennis’ musical goals was to play in two different bands at the Jazzfest. He will accomplish that this year.
Since 2013, in his spare time, Dennis has been on the production staff of the Montalvo Center for The Arts in Saratoga. He has worked with artists including Chris Botti, Herb Alpert, The Manhattan Transfer, and members from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
