About

1987-1991

I went to Klein Oak High School in Spring, Texas - a 'burb on Houston's north side. Texas is a mecca for football games and marching bands. Since marching with a bassoon was both pointless and dangerous, I flittered around the drumline and even became drum major my senior year. I also dabbled with composing music.

1991-1995

I received a bachelor of music degree in performance at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore studying with Phil Kolker. Going to college at a music conservatory opened my eyes as a young student of music. I realized how much I needed to practice to stay on top of the game and succeed.

1996-1998

I moved to Wichita, Kansas to play with the Wichita Symphony and get a pro bono master of music degree in performance from Wichita State University. I studied bassoon with Steve Vacchi and also received a master's degree in composition studying with Walter Mays. Grad school included a great blend of academia and professionalism. I felt like I had a foot in both - taking classes during the day and performing in tails at night.

1998-2011

Off to Chicago to play with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. Here, I got a taste of the big leagues... played with conductors such as Boulez, Zuckerman, Eschenbach, Rostropovich; studied with David McGill; went to Carnegie Hall with Barenboim playing an epic 3-hour program; and played at Orchestra Hall in downtown Chicago at least once a month. This also got me into the Chicago freelancing scene.

2011-present

I recently moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan and now perform with the Jackson and Adrian Symphony Orchestras. I'm a faculty member at Concordia University and also teach private lessons from home and classes in Tecumseh, Saline, and Plymouth-Canton. My beautiful yet goofy 15-year-old girl is a devout singer and book devourer. My adorable yet stubborn 12-year-old child just starting learning to play the bassoon, despite my explicit warnings. And, my truly amazing wife Susan is the Executive Director of the Leslie Science and Nature Center and Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.