Raised in the coastal town of Southport, NC, I come from a peaceful and friendly community.  Riding my bike to the waterfront on sunny days, skipping rocks, playing catch – this was my young life.  Perhaps I was just being a kid, or maybe it was a simpler world then.  It’s hard to say!

I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with a Bachelor of Music in trombone performance; I later earned a Master of Music in trombone from the University of New Mexico, 2009.  I studied with Michael Kris and Karl Hinterbichler, respectively, but the complete list of those I’ve learned from is much longer.  I must mention Allen Anderson at UNC and William Wood at UNM, two fine composition teachers that helped open my ears to the world.

When I enlisted in the Army in 2010, I auditioned on electric bass, because they needed bass players (who doesn’t, right?).  Luckily, I had some chops and experience playing bass in musicals and rock bands.  Over time my interest shifted more towards arranging and composition, and as of now I work as the staff arranger and performance librarian at the U.S. Army School of Music at Little Creek, Virginia.

Thanks for stopping by my website!