Bio

Music has been incredibly important to me for most of my life. It started with band classes in 5th grade but soon turned into performing with rock bands, symphonic orchestras, churches, and choirs all over the greater south Seattle area. I studied music at Green River College, with much of my knowledge coming from several amazing private teachers in the Seattle area, extensive self study, and many, many years working and volunteering with choirs and school music programs. This mix of experience has made me a strong jack-of-all-trades musician. In a single choir performance, for example, I sang, played drumset and glockenspiel, and conducted, while the choir sang one of my original compositions.

While I do all that in performance, my main loves are music theory, teaching, and composing. I've been teaching for over 18 years and am known as the person to refer students to when traditional lessons aren't working well, as I adapt my teaching style to the individual student. This also allows me to work really well with adult students whose busy lifestyles can often make regular practice difficult. I am a massive music theory nerd and know over 1200 years of western music theory as well as that of many world styles.

As a composer, I focus on choral and piano music, but many of these compositions originate from a teaching standpoint first. Pieces that are easy to learn, but still can have a great impact in performance. I also have many pieces and resources that actively help choirs and pianists work on difficult techniques and learn to read music, music theory, and general musicianship. All my compositions are available for free here on my website.

After years of living as a full-time private teacher and performing musician in Seattle, I found the modern world to be a bit fast for my tastes. When the pandemic hit in 2020 and all my lessons went remote, I decided to leave the city to fulfill a lifelong dream of living a simpler life in the woods. I built an off-grid cabin in the foothills of the Cascade mountains, where I live with my wonderful kitty Earl and spend my free time as a hermit composing, reading, writing, playing discgolf, and living with nature in all its beauty.