I call myself an artist.

I call myself an educator too, but that just feels like a fancy way of saying I love to help others discover their essence and develop a stronger relationship with their humanness through art.

I am fascinated by the intangible, the ineffable, and the unexpected. And I am driven by a ceaseless curiosity in what it means to co-exist on a giant spinning rock floating through space and time.

My relationship with music began when I was young. With parents who met playing saxophone in junior high band, it’s usually of little surprise that I later went on to pick up a saxophone myself. Music quickly became my obsession and I soon found myself engrossed in jazz and improvisation — it was my escape and my vessel.

My musical upbringing in El Paso, Texas is something I hold dear to my heart, as it shaped me in life-changing ways. It’s also my biggest inspiration as an educator — I hope to carry and pass on a legacy of learning, self-realization, and artistry, just as my mentors imparted on me!

The trajectory of my life was forever changed by my mentors in my early musical development. In addition to my more traditional music studies, my mentors oftentimes welcomed me to sit-in with them on their gigs around town. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this instilled a deep curiosity in the entrepreneurial aspects of what it means to be a “musician.” It taught me the kind of “street smarts” that can’t really be taught in a classroom — something I’ve come to realize is an experience unique to my upbringing and something I’m forever grateful for.

College brought me to Denton, Texas to study at the renowned University of North Texas. UNT brought me and and all of my best friends and closest musical cohorts together, culminating with the recording of my debut album, Constructed Reality and the opportunity to record with the UNT Two O’Clock Lab Band on our 2016 album, Channel Two.

The years immediately following my time at UNT were some of the most transformative and eye-opening. Right after graduating, I was graciously welcomed to hop on the road with my longtime saxophone hero and mentor, Mack Goldsbury, on one of his summer European tours. It was my first glimpse at what “life on the road” could mean, and an experience I’ll never forget.

Since that experience, music has continued to take me all around the world — Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, and all around the US... Through these travels, I’ve met and played with musicians from every corner of the earth, and have been lucky to experience the magic that is being hardly able to communicate with people of other backgrounds, but somehow coming together to make music that is meaningful and connected despite the language barrier. It has reminded me of the importance of what we do as musicians, and as artists, to connect with people of all backgrounds for a collective greater good.

Nowadays, while performing has not necessarily taken the sideline, education and continuing a musical legacy through my students is something that inspires me to no end. I am reminded each and every day about the magic and beauty of music, and how it can shape and guide young lives. I am grateful to have crossed paths with many hard-working and supremely talented individuals, many of whom have left my studio to study at such prestigious institutions as Manhattan School of Music, University of North Texas, New York University, and many other top-notch music schools around the country. Others have gone off to study and work in other areas, using the skills and topics we worked on together in other ways that involve critical thinking, creativity, and improvisation in daily life.

Aside from education and performing, I enjoy spending my time composing music and diving into sound design (using analog synthesizers and such). I also am extremely passionate about film photography and own a separate business that specializes in creative and fine-art portraiture. And when I’m not doing music or photography things, I’m probably hanging out with my incredible partner, Liz, and our wacky dogs — Olive & Maya.

Curious to learn more about what I have to offer?
Check out one of the links below!