Resume

NARRATIVE BIO

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away....

Well, maybe not that long ago, and certainly not that far away -- western Kansas, but that's far enough.

I began to learn piano when I was 5. By the time I reached Junior High and High School I was competing and winning in piano competitions. Upon graduation I enrolled at the University of Kansas as a piano performance major. During my time at KU I became an accomplished vocal accompanist, working with the best undergraduate and some graduate students. Other activities included playing trumpet in the marching band, composing pieces for the KU Symphonic Orchestra, and writing art songs that were performed by some of my clients at their senior recitals. Eventually I graduated with a degree in Music Theory and Composition.

After college I played in several bands: Stone's Throw (heavy progressive fusion), Flux (prog metal), Southern Drawl (young country covers), Bent (classic rock covers), and The Differents (rock, stoner blues, R&B). This is where I learned the practical side of being a musician -- transporting, setting up, and tearing down gear, troubleshooting, juggling day job with musicians' night life, artistic collaboration and conflict, studio recording and mixing, and finding a new appreciation for Spinal Tap.

Eventually I got tired of playing in bars and dealing with the problems that most bands seem to have; after The Differents broke up I didn't do much musically for awhile. Not long after, I got a job offer that required relocation to Atlanta. After a couple of years I had met some theatre people who asked me to help them out with their shows. I enjoyed being able to do music again, and it was not in the same tired old band-in-a-bar setting. Moreover, the pay and hours were better. As I gained experience and learned about the theatre scene in Atlanta, I worked in various places, some better than others. Over the next couple of years I went from community theatre (think Waiting for Guffman) to more professional settings.

At this time I also was invited to play keyboards for touring Broadway shows occasionally; the same contractor also hired me on several occasions to play with the Atlanta Pops orchestra. The Pops play small regional tours and I was with them on 2 tours of Taiwan.

Eventually I found a great fit with the Atlanta Lyric Theatre and it has been my main home for the last few seasons. In this time my skills as a music director have increased greatly. Because it is Atlanta's best professional musical theatre company, we are able to put on bigger and better shows than most other theatres in the city and region. It is incredibly satisfying to be able to put my education, skills, and passion into such a rewarding experience, and the future is very bright indeed for both the company and myself.

I want to get back to recording my own music; hopefully I will get some time soon to be able to put together something worth your bandwidth. Thanks for reading this; please enjoy the rest of the site!