Who is one person you would like to see in concert, living or dead? Why?

It would be Louis Armstrong and he’s dead. He is one of the greatest trumpet players of all time. I never got to see him play live and jazz is my favorite form of music.

What is your favorite movie, specifically your favorite movie scene from it? 

It’s gotta be the original “Blues Brothers”. My favorite scene is when they’re in Chicago buying an electric piano from Ray Charles. He is in the movie, just that scene and Muddy Waters is out on the street playing guitar as a street musician. 

Who gave you the best piece of advice you have ever received? What was the advice?

That’s a tough one. I don’t even know so many people have given me advice. I guess it’d be from my grandfather, to always practice hard at whatever you do: music, sports, whatever.

If you were an animal, what animal would you be? Why? 

A penguin. I would live in cold weather — I like cold weather. I can just swim around and waddle like I do now as an old man. 

What is something you wish people knew about you?

I would say that even though I use sarcasm a lot, teaching is the best job in the world. I really do like the students. 

What is your go-to karaoke song? 

Actually, I have never done karaoke in my life. That would be one of the things I regret is not learning to sing and not learning to dance. I’m like the worst dancer in the world. I’ve only danced two dances my whole life: once when I got married and once when my daughter got married. I’m a horrible dancer. I’m supposed to have rhythm, not when it is my feet and legs.  

What song best describes you? Why?

I don’t know because if you ask my mom it’d be “Mac the Knife” because she was a huge Bobby Darin fan. He is a famous singer from the fifties and sixties. He spelled his last name the same way I spell my name. I was named after Bobby Darin name-wise. That’s not the song I want because it’s me not my mom. I would say because it made me want to play saxophone, “Yakety Sak” by Boots Randolph. My dad only listened to country music and he is a country saxophone player. 

What fictional character do you identify most with?

It would make my wife happy if I said Maverick from “Top Gun” but that’s not me. I don’t look like Tom Cruise. I think I got it but I don’t know his name — in the Harry Potter movies, Weasley [Ron Weasley]. Is that his name? He’s his best friend, he is kind of the instigator of bad things. He’s my favorite character because he always gets Harry in trouble.

Did Elvis or The Beatles have more of an impact on music?

It’s gonna be The Beatles. The Beatles experimented with their music and expanded into hard rock. Elvis is important because he was the first rock idol. The Beatles changed their music — you can listen to the first album and listen to the last album and there’s nothing similar with them. So easily The Beatles.