Charlie was born and raised in Houston , Texas . His family was a music loving one, although no one in it (at that time) was a trained musician. His mother, father, and sister all had a natural ability to find the right harmonies to sing when they engaged in impromptu barbershop style sing-a-longs. His parents social group came to the house frequently and the usual activity was to put on the records and dance. This was a perfect environment in which to develop a great love of music, and to observe the positive effect it could have on people. His younger sister Carol (Koock) was also affected and she became an award winning pianist who is currently active in the music and theater scene in Austin , Texas . At a young age, Charlie had memorized many songs. He studied classical and popular music privately from the age of five, and upon reaching high school age, added French horn and cornet to his arsenal of instruments. It had been assumed that he would follow his dad into the oil business, but by the time Charlie entered the University of Houston on a trumpet scholarship, music had become his first love, and the direction his life would take was becoming obvious.

bio from http://www.charlieshaffer.com/page2.html