Randy Avis grew up in the central highland region of West Virginia, where he learned to play the trumpet and love band music thanks to his band director, Jim Spencer. After graduating from WVU with a Bachelor of Music and teaching for two years in the WV public school system, he realized that music was a better avocation than vocation in his case. He moved to Northern Virginia in 1980 and managed to find his way into a software development job and found his true calling. In addition to playing with the PWCB for enjoyment, he has been making wine since 2006, primarily from grapes grown here in Northern Virginia. During the years he has played in community bands and both sung with and directed church choirs, and he has finally found a ‘home’ with the Prince William Community Band.