A story best told in anecdotes …

In 1977, on a humid New York summer’s night, the opening guitar arpeggio of Genesis’ “Dance On a Volcano” floated from my FM radio. It was an awakening — stabbing, liquid guitar, bass pedals, mellotron and drums in 7/8 time. At that moment, music became a passion. To combine it with my work as a journalist has been a gift.

Some of my favorite stories:

Hampton fills Bardavon with good vibes: Poughkeepsie Journal, 1986. While interning at the Journal, after many nights covering zoning board hearings, I convinced the paper’s entertainment editor to send me to the city’s posh Bardavon 1869 Opera House to review vibraphone legend Lionel Hampton’s show.

Andy Summers: Ex-Police man starts a new beat: Poughkeepsie Journal, 1987. The Police had recently disbanded, and guitarist Summers was busy trying to establish an identity apart from the band. His return to Poughkeepsie to play The Chance, a club where The Police in 1978 had played to a handful of people on its first U.S. tour, made for a good interview. As for a Police reunion, he said, “I don’t think anything’s going to happen.”

For Cobain, the dying began early: USA TODAY, 2001: A review of Charles R. Cross’ wrenching biography of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, “Heavier Than Heaven.”

GTR (Steve Hackett): Poughkeepsie Journal, 1987. The former Genesis guitar player talked with me about the band he formed with Steve Howe of Yes. At the time, they were burning up the charts. A year later, they were no more.

RBD stands for Latin pop phenomenon: USA TODAY, 2006. No matter the language or culture, there’s something about a TV show spawning a music group that translates equally well.

After 125 years, the ukulele keeps people smiling: USA TODAY, 2004. “People’s expectations … are very low, and when they hear it, they are flabbergasted at how beautiful it sounds,” one player told me.

Agitpop’s made a career out of going the extra mile: Poughkeepsie Journal, 1987. What I remember most from this interview (and the show that followed) was this band’s singular vision. Agitpop was like nothing else little Poughkeepsie had ever seen.

P.O.D. soldiers onward after lineup change: USA TODAY, 2003. Two years after selling four million copies of “Satellite,” I caught up with P.O.D. as it was restarting its career with new guitarist Jason Truby and trying to shed the “Christian rock” tag.

Evanescence lands someplace special: USA TODAY, 2003. In spring 2003, Amy Lee’s soaring vocal on “Bring Me to Life” was all over radio, and Evanescence was on its way to platinum status. But trouble was starting to brew in the band’s camp, and I caught up with them shortly before Lee and co-founder Ben Moody parted ways.

‘Surf City’ is home for Jan and Dean: USA TODAY, 2008: A review of Bob Greene’s memoir about his stint playing with surf rock pioneers Jan and Dean, memorable for two things: its portrayal of band camaraderie and its on-the-button take on life on the rock ‘n’ roll B-circuit.