In the mid 80's, Don started going to the open mics and bluegrass jams. Don was asked to join an original bluegrass band called "Lost in the mail" and so started his adventure as a bluegrass musician.

As time went on Don met an electric fiddle player (Chris Shacklett) and they decided to do some jamming with Rod Backman on stand up bass. The resulting formation called "DW and the Sliders" was a blend of rock-a-billy, swing, jazz and bluegrass and was well liked by the college students at Seattles University District coffee houses and at the open mics around town.

With the addition of Buzz Rogowski on keyboards "Direct Access" was formed. During this time Don was also producing background music for videos by award winning producer Gray Warriner and Camera One Productions.

Don was offered a paying position with Mark Holt's bluegrass band touring touring Canada and the Pacific Northwest and opening shows for Ricky Skaggs, Jim and Jesse and others.

While touring with Mark, Don won the "Best Guitarist Award" at the Kamloops Bluegrass & Country Music Festival (in Canada).

In the early 1990's, Don and Mark Holt co-wrote a comedy song they called "The Cowboy Rap" a 'tounge in cheek' song about a hired hand on a cattle drive who liked to rap. The song made it to #27 on the "Panel Report" (a publication out of Nashville) for the morning 'drive time' radio plays nation wide.

Don was then asked to Join the "Island Cowboys" a Samoan country band based out of Seattle. They toured all over the Pacific Northwest doing shows in some of the biggest Country Bars in the Pacific NW from Jerry Andels Ranch in Seattle to the Million Dollar Cowboy Bar in Jackson Hole.

In the mid 90's Don was asked by Guy Hunt who is a great steel and guitar player (who performed with Merle Haggard among others and many times on the Comedy TV show HeeHaw) to do a tour playing guitar with Country Music Hall of Fame Star Hank Thompson.

After the Tour was over Don moved to Alaska in the winter of 1995 and began to play the local bars in Anchorage. Don is now playing 250+ gigs a year and loves Alaska.

He produced a Radio show called "Swing-n-Things" which was broadcast on KNIK (The Breeze). Don has performed with Ken Peltier and Mike Olsen and opened for John Michael Montgomery.