From an early age, I was very interested in
music. I grew up in
Maryland, where I received an International Baccalaureate diploma from
Richard Montgomery High School. From 1998-2002 I studied at the
Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, where I received a Bachelors
Degree in
composition and organ performance. The students and professors I
got to know and collaborate with at Eastman provided endless
inspiration and enabled me to grow a lot during a few years. I
spent three years in Denver, CO, working as a church musician, private
teacher, accompanist, composer, and arranger - and producing several
concerts featuring some amazing local talent. I am currently
living in Vienna, Austria, taking composition lessons with Chaya
Czernowin.
~ my philosophy
Music is my favorite form of
art, for the totality of its
embrace. It is surely the most mysterious form of human
communication, for it is an abstract language of sounds, yet it can
convey such specific feelings and thoughts. The most personal
feelings can be understood by the widest audience. Performers and
listeners share a musical experience in the moment, guided by dots on
paper written by composers long since
dead. People in the same culture might have identical reactions
to a piece, but someone from another culture will find it completely
the opposite. Great composers and performers can be found
everywhere on the spectrum between rationalism (planning) and intuition
(spontaneity). Music is so often used to enhance other arts,
poetry, dance, film, theatre, but it also so satisfying on its
own. In today's interconnected world,
people are familiar with a wider diversity of music than ever
before. My highest goal is that in my life's work, I can
contribute something of lasting value to this art and in doing so,
contribute to the lives of many people.
~ composing
In the past twelve years, I've written over two hundred pieces
of music. Like any creative art, composition is a mysterious
process - there is a certain amount of technique involved, such as a
deep understanding of harmonic theory and knowing exactly what is
possible on any instrument or voice. But for me at least, the
musical ideas generally come from inspiration, or imagination.
Probably all of my best pieces contain a lot of music which I feel like
I "discovered", rather than "invented".
I treat each new piece I write as a new challenge, where anything can
happen, and consequently I've written music which is pretty, violent,
silly, chaotic, accessible, intellectual, and just plain weird.
There's a marvelous quote from filmmaker Federico Fellini - when asked
which of his films is his favorite, he replies that he cannot
answer. It is like asking, "Which do you prefer, your first love
or a beautiful summer's day?" I feel the same way about the music
I write - though I certainly like some pieces better than others,
they're so different from each other that it wouldn't make any sense to
select one above the rest.
~ arranging
The best arrangers are able to transform music from one
form into another, adding a new perspective to the piece. The
greatest arranger I know of is Gil Evans, who became famous for albums
he arranged for Miles Davis and large jazz ensembles - "Miles Ahead",
"Porgy & Bess", "Sketches of Spain". These albums take what are
already fantastic songs and pieces and expand them into a richly
colorful mixture of instruments, adding the element of improvisation. Certain composers were also
masters at this art, like Ferrucio Busoni (whose "Fantasia
Contrappuntistica" is an expansion of Bach's "The Art of the Fugue")
and Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (whose pastiche on Rimsky-Korsakov's
"Hindu Merchant's Song" is the single most gorgeous piece I've ever encountered).
Good arranging takes just as much technique and imagination as
composing,
I have written/created over three hundred arrangements of rock
songs. This has always been a large part of my work as a church
musician, arranging songs for solo piano or pipe organ. I have
arranged dozens of Joni Mitchell songs, for large and small
ensembles. I have arranged pop songs for female a capella groups and jazz standards for Japanese instruments.
~ performing
In a simplified view, the classical conservatory approach
is that you learn to play music by practicing pieces for long periods of time,
and when you're ready, you perform for an audience. The jazz
approach is more that you combine daily practicing with frequent
performances of a wide range of repertoire. I feel like I have
experience with both approaches - I work for months on a few pieces
before playing solo recitals, but as a church musician, I play new
repertoire for an audience every Sunday.
I really enjoy performing, communicating with other people through
music, and I also enjoy organizing large concerts. The
performances page of this site will provide you with everything you might care to
know about my past and upcoming performances.
~ teaching
An excellent music teacher can do so much for a student's
musical, technical, and personal growth. The finest teachers I
have had are Carolyn Booth (eleven years of piano lessons, instilling
in me the desire to explore and understand all facets of music),
Augusta Read Thomas (a year of composition lessons, which provided me
with new ways of thinking that I have drawn upon ever since, and the
desire to keep working on each piece until it is the best I can
possibly make it), and Hans Davidsson (three years of organ lessons,
encouraging me to refine my performances to the highest level and
explore new repertoire).
I have taught private lessons in piano, guitar, organ, composition, and music theory.