Less discussed is a third, more intangible element contributing to the performance of an entertainment system: the setting. According to Bernard Haggerty, a piano tuner who lives in Soulard, "Thomas has the ability to read a room, detecting acoustic deficiencies and strengths." Decisions about system power, sound insulation, speaker quality and others are influenced by the setting.

Bernard says that, as a piano tuner, "my hearing is more discriminating. I pick up tones and nuances from music which some others may not hear. Thomas is the same. His musical background has enriched and sensitized his hearing. This asset helps Thomas evaluate components and compensate for environmental deficiencies that other installers would not even detect."

Thomas' grandfather, who immigrated from a small town named Palo de Colle near the Adriatic Sea to Brooklyn, where Thomas grew up, ordered Thomas' father to teach his eight siblings to play musical instruments "because he felt they were idle."

Thomas' father, who played 13 instruments, turned teaching into a career after earning a doctorate in music from New York University. His mother played organ and piano and was a graduate of the Chicago School of Music. Thomas was constantly exposed to music. In addition, he was taught piano and clarinet.

In addition to designing a/v systems, Thomas is a writer and author and an expert on early St. Louis history, especially on the Louisiana Purchase and its transformation into U.S. territory. He wrote and collected the images for "The Commonfields of St. Louis and Residences" which details development of the areas now defined by Soulard, Lafayette Square and some adjoining neighborhoods up to the time of the Civil War. His book, simply titled Meriwether Lewis, will be published and available in early 2009.

"I hated to practice," Thomas confesses. His clarinet career ended when he disassembled the instrument "to see how it worked" and broke it. "It was a shame," he muses, "since I had the hands for it, but not the patience." Altering course, Thomas received a degree in English from St. Louis University and nurtured a knack for assembling home entertainment systems.

Bernard explains that "Thomas has installed $50,000 systems and he has cobbled together systems that only cost a few hundred dollars. The outstanding skill he brings to the job is the ability to create the best system for the client within their budget limitations."

"It helps that he is not tied to particular makes of products, so he can look out for the bottom line of the customer, not the bottom line of a store," Bernard concludes.

Site maintained by Thomas Danisi.
Writing, photography, technical assistance by Clark Rowley of People Productions.
©2008 Copyright Notice: All internal graphics and content of this site is copyright ©People Productions unless otherwise acknowledged. Reproduction, including but not limited to the pages, graphics, posts, articles, and related items, is prohibited unless by prior written and signed agreement.