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Frank was born in Montreal, Canada, moving to Cocoa Beach, Florida at 6 years of age. His formative years were spent learning classical piano and surfing. In 1970, during high school, Frank moved to the Washington. DC area. It was here that Frank's true affinity for music emerged when a friend, impressed at how quickly he had learned the beginning to "Stairway to Heaven" gave Frank his old electric guitar. After high school he earned B.S. and Master's degrees in Applied Math (physics etc) from the University of Maryland. Frank came close to finishing a Ph.D., but got married and had a child instead. He has worked at the University of Maryland in the chaotic dynamics research group, as well as the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Planetary Atmospheres and Astrophysics research: infrared cameras at mountain top telescopes, etc. While there, Frank played jazz/blues guitar in a Big-Band club at NASA Goddard, and bass guitar with various |
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amateur jazz/blues/rock/funk bands, with musicians usually better than him, so he always kept learning more (sometimes forgetting more). Mostly volunteer gigs. In 2000, Frank relocated to Gainesville, Florida and began work at the University of Florida with the infrared astrophysics group of the Astronomy department. This group builds Infrared camera instruments for huge telescopes on mountaintops in Hawaii, Chile and the Canari islands. He also performs computational analysis of infrared data and modeling of radiative transfer of starlight in stardust of the interstellar medium.??? Beam him up Scotty!!!!! Since settling in the Gator Nation, he started jamming with his drummer brother, Steve and his musician friends (Tom Nelly, Eric Diamond, etc.) After meeting Frank Ogborn and jamming at a mutual friend's party in the summer of 2002, a semi-incarnation of the "Gypsies" took place at Larry & Patti Flewelling's party with brother Steve on drums, Tom Nelly on guitar, Frank V on bass, Patti played flute/percussion and of course "Rock-n-Roll Frank" Ogborn on vocals. Frank initially started learning jazz style piano, but decided it was more fun playing bass with the "Flying Gypsies", and is now having the most musical fun of his life. To top things off, Frank met the love of his life Cindy, and recently got married. Cindy plays piano and while a little shy about it, can sing too! Together they have three wonderful children who are also very musical. Known among fellow band members as "Frankie V", Frank also likes jamming with various members of the Gypsies or whoever on the side, playing non-mainstream stuff like original jazz/funk fusion etc. Early rock music influences were Led Zepplin, Steppenwolf, Jimi Hendrix. Then expanded to the likes of Frank Zappa, Mahavisnu (John McGlaughlin), ELP, King Crimson, Steely Dan, Allman Brothers, etc. He got into Jazz and Blues later while jamming with new friends and from the radio: stuff like T.J.Kirk (a band dedicated to Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rashan Roland Kirk), and a lot more funky stuff, from J.B. on... |
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