WalkerLee

Music

I bought my first guitar when I was about to start junior high school, under the mistaken impression that owning an electric guitar would make me considerably more interesting. The anticipated avalanche of women's underwear never materialized, but I kept playing anyway.

Guitar has been my main instrument since then, although in recent years I've found myself drafted to play bass more often, which is probably how most people who have seen me perform recently would recognize me.

In more recent years, I've been involved in various bands and recording projects, including the ones below.

The Journals Kept

I've been the bassist for The Journals Kept since 2024. The band was founded by Paul and Faith Vittum, formerly of The Princeton Reverbs Colonial, and includes drummer Paul Pelis.

We're a western Massachusetts indie rock band whose music draws on power pop, psychedelia, and a variety of other influences. I've played on the EP Strike the Match and the single Dowsing Rod, with more music on the way.

You can find our recordings at the links below.

Spotify · Apple Music · YouTube · Bandcamp

Playing with Eric Gaffney

I've been playing music with Eric Gaffney, co-founder of Sebadoh, for the last ten years or so, primarily on bass. It's never been a formally named band; we generally just perform under Eric's name.

stepBirds

stepBirds is a musical collaboration among friends, with a core group of regular members and a lineup that may vary. We play original material, occasionally perform live, and tend to swap instruments depending on the song and who's in the mood to play what.

I spend most of my time on guitar, but also play bass, drums, and occasional keyboards. I sometimes make noises that other people interpret as attempts at singing.

Toxic Friends

Toxic Friends brought together Sasha Statman-Weil on vocals, Eric Gaffney on guitar, Matt Jugenheimer on drums, and me on bass. I also contributed some guitar and songwriting.

We recorded an eight-song album in 2019 and played a number of live shows around western Massachusetts. Jeff Lloyd took over on drums for our live performances after Matt left the band.

You can listen to the album on Bandcamp.

Work

Healthcare Provider Advocates

I spent about thirty years at Healthcare Provider Advocates (HPA), a healthcare management consulting business founded by my father, which I eventually took over. We worked with hospitals and other healthcare organizations on revenue cycle management and operational problems.

The work meant looking at organizations from several angles, digging into data and processes, and talking with everyone from frontline staff to senior executives. Often, the interesting part was discovering that the problem wasn't quite where anyone thought it was. That experience helped shape how I investigate problems and think about how things work.

We didn't survive the plague years, and I threw the final shovelful of dirt on the grave in 2022.

Walker's Grill

From 1996 to 1998, I was a co-owner of Walker's Grill, a restaurant, bar, and live music venue in Amherst.

I handled the music bookings, which brought me into contact with a lot of local musicians. Once the place became known as a venue, artists started approaching me with recordings and requests to play. It was an enjoyable way to get to know more of the local music scene.

It was a lively little place while it lasted. We didn't survive, but apparently at least a couple of people still remember it fondly.

Data Engines Corporation

In 2010, I cofounded Data Engines Corporation with my friend Andrés Corrada-Emmanuel. Andrés has a PhD in physics, but his work took him into machine learning and data science, where he became a progressively advanced mathematician by necessity.

The company grew out of our efforts to address a fundamental problem in machine learning: how to evaluate the accuracy of algorithms when you don't have the correct answers to compare their results against.

Andrés developed the mathematics, and I worked closely with him to understand the concepts, consider their practical implications, and identify possible applications. I also handled much of the business side of the venture. We obtained a U.S. patent and investigated potential uses ranging from medical imaging to autonomous vehicles.

Andrés continued developing the mathematics, and the work that began at Data Engines evolved into what is now known as NTQR, with applications extending well beyond what we originally envisioned, including the evaluation of AI systems.

I wrote about the project and where it has led in Who Judges the Judges?

For a more conventional account of my professional experience, there's also my LinkedIn profile.

Martial Arts

I've practiced various martial arts for about forty years, beginning with karate and judo. For the past twenty years or so, my principal practice has been Musō Shinden Ryū iaido, a traditional Japanese sword art.

Iaido is practiced largely through kata, prescribed sequences of movements representing encounters with one or more imaginary opponents. The sword is drawn, used, and returned to its scabbard, with attention to everything from the smallest movement of the hands to the timing, distance, and intent behind each action. It's a discipline in which there's always something to improve, however long you've been practicing.

I hold the rank of sandan (third-degree black belt) in iaido and am qualified to teach it. I intend to continue practicing for as long as I'm able.

Writing

I'll occasionally post things here that I've written, whether they're new or something I dug out of the archives.

Who Judges the Judges?

Originally published September 16, 2026.

Read the full essay