Ron has been in the music business for almost 50 years. He began playing a toy ukulele at age 4 and accordion at age 7 where he learned to read music. He started on saxophone at age 11 and by age 12 formed his first band. Ron grew up in southern California and while he was still in high school he played in several dance bands and began to arrange music for the bands and studied arranging and saxophone.

After graduating from Torrance High School (later the fictional setting for numerous TV shows and movies, including Beverly Hills 90210, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Medium, and many other movies - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:THS_facade.jpg ) Ron earned music degrees from Long Beach State and a Ph.D. from the University of California. Over the years has been a woodwind performer, composer, arranger, teacher, and vocalist with many artists and groups, including:

The Carpenters Del Shannon Hollywood Bowl Symphony Dallas Symphony Orchestra Mesquite Symphony Orchestra (Texas) Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (Alberta, Canada) Richard Davis Big Band Briefcase Blues Band The Blandelles Up With People California Jazz Society (CJS) Film: Barney's Big Adventure TV: Barney and Friends TV: Caddo Lake (KERA-TV documentary) TV: Big Bend (KERA-TV documentary) Professor of Music TA&M Commerce (formerly ETSU)

He has over 40 published musical works for voice, winds, keyboards, and orchestra. His music is available from Southern Music Company, Leeds Press, and DeWitt Music, and he has been a member of ASCAP since 1976. His music has been performed in 34 counties.

Ron shares his life in north Dallas with Bess Salomon, an artist and jazz vocalist/pianist from New York.

The EWI - Electronic Wind Instrument

Like a keyboard synthesizer, Ron's EWI can imitate almost any instrumental sound, from a clarinet or flute to a steel drum or fiddle, and over 100 other sounds. It is played like a saxophone and is responsive to the player's breath pressure which gives it an incredible expressive quality.

Here are just some of the instruments you might hear from the Ron's EWI during Ebenezer performance:

Piano Electric Piano Harmonica Accoridan Marimba Violin (or fiddle) Cello String Orchestra

Harp Trumpet Trombone Flute and Piccolo Oboe Saxophone Clarinet Steel Drum

You can discover more about Ron at http://RonYates.com.