I have always loved music. Like many children of the American middle class, my earliest musical memories are connected to songs heard on the car radio or in my parent’s living room. My mom and dad had a nice collection of records, consisting mostly of movie soundtracks such as South Pacific, Camelot, Brigadoon, etc. along with some other odds and ends, but my favorites were the symphonic recordings - Beethoven, Strauss, Tchaikovsky and Bach.
At the age of 8, I began playing trumpet, but soon transitioned to the French horn, an instrument I would play into my late teens. During this period in my life, I was fortunate to have been exposed to band directors and private instructors who were extremely passionate about their art. Individuals such as Dean Streator, Linda Ketterer, and George Etheridge all deeply influenced me as a musician and I am thankful for the impact that they had on my life.
As a youngster, pop music really didn’t make much of an impression on me. In fact, it wasn’t until I was a junior in high school that I discovered the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. However, upon seeing “The Song Remains the Same” at a midnight movie, my course as a musician was forever altered. I was completely mesmerized by what I saw Jimmy Page do with a guitar that night. Soon thereafter, I became obsessed with artists such as Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Who, and Neil Young. In particular, it was the alchemy of acoustic and electric guitars that spoke to me in a way no other idiom ever had. I was hooked.
I purchased my first guitar at 19 – a Yamaha 12-string. It was a challenging instrument to learn, but I was a dedicated student and progressed quickly. Within a year, I had acquired an electric guitar and was practicing for hours on end. About this time, I began studying guitar with Michael Fath, a prominent musician in the Washington D.C. area. Over the course of seven years, Michael taught me a great deal about music theory, improvisation, and modern guitar technique.
From these roots, I branched out, exploring Blues, Folk, Country and Jazz guitar styles. I also took lessons from Eric Ulreich, another excellent D.C. musician, more fully developing my burgeoning composition skills. As the years went by, I studied music in college, played in various bands, and was accepted to Music Tech (now McNally Smith College of Music) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Today, with the benefit of 45 years as a musician behind me, I’ve synthesized a style as a composer and guitarist that reflects a myriad of influences. That said, my sincerest desire as an artist is to speak directly to you from my heart. It’s the best gift I have to offer.
As a youngster, pop music really didn’t make much of an impression on me. In fact, it wasn’t until I was a junior in high school that I discovered the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix. However, upon seeing “The Song Remains the Same” at a midnight movie, my course as a musician was forever altered. I was completely mesmerized by what I saw Jimmy Page do with a guitar that night. Soon thereafter, I became obsessed with artists such as Led Zeppelin, Yes, The Who, and Neil Young. In particular, it was the alchemy of acoustic and electric guitars that spoke to me in a way no other idiom ever had. I was hooked.
I purchased my first guitar at 19 – a Yamaha 12-string. It was a challenging instrument to learn, but I was a dedicated student and progressed quickly. Within a year, I had acquired an electric guitar and was practicing for hours on end. About this time, I began studying guitar with Michael Fath, a prominent musician in the Washington D.C. area. Over the course of seven years, Michael taught me a great deal about music theory, improvisation, and modern guitar technique.
From these roots, I branched out, exploring Blues, Folk, Country and Jazz guitar styles. I also took lessons from Eric Ulreich, another excellent D.C. musician, more fully developing my burgeoning composition skills. As the years went by, I studied music in college, played in various bands, and was accepted to Music Tech (now McNally Smith College of Music) in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Today, with the benefit of 45 years as a musician behind me, I’ve synthesized a style as a composer and guitarist that reflects a myriad of influences. That said, my sincerest desire as an artist is to speak directly to you from my heart. It’s the best gift I have to offer.