Gary's Music Instruction Video Collection

• Getting Started on Congas: Conga Basics with Bobby Sanabria

• Getting Started on Congas: Technique for One and Two Drums with Bobby Sanabria

• Getting Started on Congas: Technique for Two and Three Drums with Bobby Sanabria
• The Ultimate Beginner Series: Have Fun Playing Hand Drums Step Two with Brad Dutz and Special Gusts

• The Contemporary Percussionist with Glen Caruba

• From Afro-Cuban to Rock: Adventures in Rhythm with Raul Rekow & Karl Perazo
• Adventures in Rhythm: Close-Up on Congas, Vol. 1 with Richie Gajate Garcia
• Advanced Conga with Rolando Soto

• The Essence of Playing Congas with Jerry Steinholtz

• A Private Lesson with Giovanni Hidalgo: One On One

• Conga Virtuoso: Giovanni Hidalgo
• Conga Masters: Changuito & Giovanni Duets
• Conga Masters: The Masters Meet Again! Giovanni & Changuito

• The History of Songo: Changuito (Jose Luis Quintana)
• Talking Drums with David Garibaldi, Michael Spiro, Jesus Diaz
• Luis Conte: Live At PAS
• Finding Your Way with Hand Drums with John Bergamo & Friends
• Community Drumming For Health and Happiness with Jim Greiner
• Creating Community Through Rhythm Based Events: Drum Circle Facilitation with Arthur Hull
• Approaches to the Drum Circle: Guide to Endrummingment with Arthur Hull
• Stevie Ray Vaughn and Double Trouble Live at the el Mocambo
• TASCAM Portastudio Video Tutorial: Your COMPLETE Guide to Personal Recording!
• MTV Beavis and Butt-Head: The Mike Judge Collection Volume 1 (music critique)

Gary's Music Software Collection

• Band-In-A-Box/Power Tracks Pro Audio

• Voyetra Multimedia Sound Software
• Voyetra Teach Me Piano
• Midisoft Studio/Desktop Sheet Music

Gary's Music Book Collection

• Guitar Case Chord Book by Peter Pickow
• IMAGINE a Celebration of John Lennon
• Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character) by Richard P. Feynman
• Writing Music for Hit Songs by Jai Josefs
• The Craft of Lyric Writing by Sheila Davis
• How to Make Money Scoring Soundtracks and Jingles by Jeffrey P. Fisher
• How to Train Singers by Lara Browning Henderson

• Nashville Songwriting by Jerry Cupit

• An Introduction to Hard Disk Recording by Roland

• A Brief Guide to Microphones by Audio-Technica
• Encyclopedia of Percussion by John H. Beck
• Rhythm & Beauty: The Art of Percussion by Rocky Maffit
• Planet Drum by Mickey Hart and Frederick Lieberman

• Conga Drumming: A Beginner's Guide to Playing with Time by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby

• Afro Cuban Drumming: A Comprehensive Guide to Traditional & Contemporary Styles by Glen Caruba

• A Rhythmic Vocabulary: A Musicians Guide to Understanding and Improvising with Rhythm by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby

• Hip Grooves for Hand Drums: How to Play Funk, Rock & World-Beat Patterns on any Drum by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby

• Secrets of the Hand: Soloing Strategies for Hand Drummers by Alan Dworsky and Betsy Sansby

• All  You Wanted to Know About The Djembe Drum by Dr. Doudou D Faye, PhD
• How to Play Drums by James Blades and Johnny Dean

• 200 Drum Machine Patterns by Rene-Pierre Bardet

• Afro-Latin Rhythm Dictionary by Thomas A. Brown
• Encyclopedia of Reading Rhythms: Text and Workbook for All Instruments by Gary Hess
• The Bongo Book by Trevor Salloum
• Changuito: A Master's Approach to Timbales by Jose Luis Quintana "Changuito
• Afro-Cuban Rhythms for Drumset by Frank Malabe and Bob Weiner
• Play Congas Now: The Basics & Beyond by Richie Gajate-Garcia
• Authentic Conga Rhythms by Bob Evans
• West African Rhythms for Drumset by Royal Hartigan
• Drum Circle: A Guide to World Percussion by Chaldo Eduardo & Frank Kumor

• Drum Circle Spirit: Facilitating Human Potential Through Rhythm

• Rumba Soloing Technique Volume 1:/Afro-Cuban Conga Drum Improvisation: Learn to Play Afro-Cuban Quinto Licks & Soloing by Cliff Brooks
• Rumba Soloing Technique Volume 2:/ Afro-Cuban Conga Drum Improvisation: Mastering Clave with Quinto Licks by Cliff Brooks
• DRUM! Magazine archive

The Titans! 1989-1990, Jam days

The Titans! -1989 (Transitional year from original group to cover band)

Members: (1st half of the year) 

Ken Geraci-guitar, songwriter, vocals

Daniel Geraci-bass, songwriter, vocals

Marc Geraci-drums

Steve Snyder-vocals

Members: (2nd half of the year) 

Ken Geraci-guitar, songwriter, vocals

Daniel Geraci-bass, songwriter, vocals

Marc Geraci-drums

Scott Linhardt-vocals

Events: 

• Mom Geraci's 1st cousins Kathy and Jeanie Carr lived in Los Angeles and had connections in the entertainment industry
• They had submitted our demo tape and headshots to various studios  
• One studio was interested in the band’s look and wanted us to audition for a Coca Cola commercial
• The entire band drove to Los Angeles to audition for the Coke commercial. 
• We happened to see Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the audition along with many other groups 
• Steve Snyder leaves the band 
• Scott Linhardt joins the band
• Band makes the transition to a cover band in the fall of 1989, agent Charlie Hatchett begins booking shows for us
• Band makes first road trip to Oklahoma City in November of 1989
• Gary Geraci mixes sound for the band for the first time
• Band meets singer of band that Black Oak Arkansas and perform  "Jim Dandy to the Rescue”

Memorable Shows: 

• Steamboat, Austin, TX
• The Back Room, Austin, TX
• Liberty Lunch, Austin, TX
• The Cannibal Club, Austin, TX
• UT Cactus Cafe, Austin, TX
• Sneakers (San Antonio, TX)
• Several shows in Oklahoma City

The Titans! -1990 (Full time cover band with an occasional original show)

Members:  

Ken Geraci-guitar, songwriter, vocals

Daniel Geraci-bass, songwriter, vocals

Marc-Geraci-drums

Scott Linhardt-vocals

Arnaud "Matrix" Robin-keyboards, vocals

Events: 

• Talent agent Debbie Murphy began booking the band in San Antonio, TX
• Band plays 3 to 4 times a week in San Antonio, TX
• Gary Geraci, living in San Antonio, TX begins to regularly run sound
• The band plays in front of thousands of people for a big outdoor St. Patrick’s day party at a Coco Beach in San Antonio
• Super fan Arnaud Robin joins the band
• Roger Bailey temporarily joined group for a couple of shows

Memorable Shows: 

• Clubs along St. Mary’s Street in San Antonio including
• Coco Beach, Sonova Beach, Tycoon Flats, Buckos,
• Marriot Lounge River walk, San Antonio, TX
• Billy Marbles on the River walk, San Antonio, TX
• Sneakers, San Antonio, TX
• Steamboat, Austin, TX
• Maggie Maes, Austin, TX
• Toulouse, Austin, TX
• 1950s revival party in Laredo, TX
• Multiple wedding receptions, college fraternity parties, high school proms (Texas)

Courtesy Marc Geraci. Visit Marc's Soundcloud page for a selection of original music.

Going to Hollywood

I also had a few hours off back then to enjoy a night or two in Old San Antonio:

• I was able to follow this great basketball team in town known as the San Antonio Spurs and developed a real admiration for one of its newest star players, center David Robinson, a civil engineering graduate from the US Naval Academy.

• I got to see this great blues guitarist perform outside downtown San Antonio named Stevie Ray Vaughan (La Semana Alegre, Hemisphere Park, April 25, 1990.)  I'll never forget the opening and smoking instrumental piece, Testify; Mr. Vaughan's silk shirt blowing in the wind and the crowd, gaping opened mouth in amazement.

In those days I had only been repressing what someone in 2011 might call an "American Idol" like ambition for fame and stardom; it was destined to resurface sooner or later. 

A fund raising opportunity with the local Public Television Station KLRN came up.  If I would donate a year's worth of cleaning services, the station would come out and shoot a mini-commercial for me and I could be in it.  Deal!  A homeowner allowed me the use of her home, one of our housekeeping staff signed up to clean before the camera, and I "starred" in the spot by delivering a catchy tag line at the end.

Though I visibly shook during my line "Where the customer is our Prime Concern!" I was star struck.  Quick as I could, I joined up for acting and modeling classes with Cliff Osmond/John Casablancas, a talent agency of sorts and my sights were set for Hollywood. 

Gary Geraci, 1989

In a few short months I had modeled tuxedos on runway or two, did freeze modelling for a mall clothing store (while resisting juvenile delinquents trying to make me laugh), advertised for a local apartment during a photo shoot "playing" tennis, and acted as a silent juror during a TV commercial for a prominent San Antonio lawyer.  But I wasn't getting to leave the country or for that matter, the city any time soon like to New York, LA, or Paris. Oh yeah, did I say that I wasn't really cut out to act? I just got too nervous with speaking parts and could never make it past the audition, not good.  

Well, that's OK, I needed to stay in San Antonio anyway so that I could continue on with the obligations of my day job and, wait a minute, my brothers' Austin, TX band The Titans! was starting to get famous - in San Antonio!