I feel fortunate to have discovered a calling to music at an early age. Sound has been an integral part of the fabric of my life and I was inspired as much by my mom and stepdad's collection of Rock, Soul and Prog as I was by my father taking me to countless jazz jam sessions and other live performances from an early age. I even learned to appreciate the radio static that would accompany KLON’s weak broadcast signal as much as the intended content. After a brief stint on the Alto Sax, I pivoted to the guitar and electric bass, playing in bands in high school and giving lessons to neighborhood kids. Even at this early stage, I appreciated the opportunity to pass on the knowledge I was acquiring and discovered the creativity that is involved in accommodating the differing ways that people learn. My performing career truly began as a co-founder of the jazz ensemble Return To One which played throughout San Diego County in the early to mid-90s. I studied jazz performance at SDSU, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a minor in Humanities. 

Upon migrating to the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 90s, I immersed myself in its inspiring and eclectic scene. Validated in exploring my range of interests, I co-founded psychedelic art-damage band Spork and the avant-chamber trio Mosthumbz, which performed at local clubs as well as warehouses and underground venues. I spent several years honing my New Music chops as part of the Contemporary Performance Ensemble at Mills College directed by Fred Frith, and around the same time connected with a cadre of musicians from Ann Arbor Michigan, crystallizing in a long-held weekly residency at Storyville with various line-ups of Transmission. Here I formed musical bonds that would last decades. 

I spent the ensuing years playing in numerous bands and projects, always amazed at my collaborators’ ability to transform my compositions into living, communicating entities from my scores and direction. Additionally, I relished the opportunity to compliment and serve the music of others as an accompanist, collaborator and producer.

Extensive touring has taken me to stages across the US and internationally. Notably, I served as touring guitarist for Jolie Holland for several years, doing runs in the US, Europe, Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. My band the Cannery played across Italy and opened for the great Vic Chesnutt for a series of concerts in Spain. As a member of Halifax Pier and Mercury Falls I performed across the US and Canada and with Magic In The Other I played festivals in the greater Bay Area including High Sierra.

All the while, I’ve maintained a thriving teaching studio with as many as 30 private students a week as well as directing rock and pop bands in private schools and enrichment programs. I’ve presented workshops on group improvisation, sound design and tone-building for electric guitar, and never stopped being a student myself- with endless investigation into new genres, techniques and developments in music theory.