Owner Robert D. Gray has a varied background in both music and photography. He attended the Boston Conservatory of Music on a performance scholarship, studying bassoon with Richard Plaster of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Boston Conservatory of Music and his Masters Degree in Music Education from William Paterson University where he studied Oboe with Dr. Richard Foley. He served as the Principal Bassoonist of the United States Coast Guard Band from 1974-1978, touring throughout the U.S. While a member of the Coast Guard Band he performed for the Inauguration of Jimmy Carter, President Gerald Ford and the Queen of England.  As a free-lance bassoonist he has performed with the Wayne Chamber Orchestra, The New Jersey Philharmonic, The New Jersey Chamber Music Society, The Fantasia Woodwind Quintet, Adelphi Orchestra, Mid Atlantic Opera Orchestra, The Ridgewood Concert Band and numerous other free lance orchestras. He is presently performing with the New Jersey Wind Symphony, the Classic V Winds Woodwind Quintet and the Bergen Sinfonia Orchestra.

He recently retired from the Jersey City Public Schools where he taught at the Jersey City Arts High School and McNair Academic High School. He also recently retired as a long time adjunct professor in the William Paterson University Music Department where he was the Bassoon and Double Reeds instructor.

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Repair/Restoration Credentials - Studied Instrument Repair with Stuart Wagh of Tone Music and 40+ years teaching instrumental music.

 

In addition to his musical pursuits he also worked for 20 plus years in the photographic industry. He worked for commercial photographer Walt Sayre and Trucolor Photo Labs as a darkroom technician, commercial photographer, production manager and account executive. Gray has maintained an active career as a fine art photographer creating Black and White images with a 4 X 5 large format film camera. All Black and White prints are hand made by the photographer using archival printing methods and mounted on acid free mounting boards.