A Little About Me

I was born and raised in Southern California and relocated to Portland OR in 2020 with my wife and 2 dogs. I received my degree in music from California State University Chico in Chico CA. Since then I’ve been fortunate to work professionally as an educator, performer, arranger, composer, and music director in many different settings. You can check out my CV if you’d like to see my full list of credits.

In addition to music, I love technology, good books, mediocre movies, and hanging out with my wife, Megan. I also adore my 2 dogs (fur babies) Peanut Butter and Gidget.


About My Teaching Style:
When lesson planning, I teach from a “song first” approach. I like students to be always working towards the goal of performing complete musical ideas at whatever level they are at. When choosing repertoire, technique assignments, or theory packets, I’m looking to drive the student toward the simple goal of playing beautiful music. This can happen at any level of the piece.  In between more standard repertoire, I allow students to pick the music they want to learn and I then arrange it at an appropriate level. 

I believe that the study of music is for all people. No matter what student does with their life, it is my job to make them enjoy the journey and identify as lifelong musicians.

As a music educator, I aim to impart more than just the notes on the page. I want students to have confidence that the choices they make musically are built upon an emotional and analytical foundation. I want them to understand where they sit in the historical context of the music they are performing, but at the same time feel inspired to push past what is expected and be daring.