Hi!

About Me

I’m a musician and music teacher in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. I attended the University of Tennessee, where I studied trombone with Don Hough and earned a trombone performance degree. During the same time, I studied jazz and improvisation with Jerry Coker.

I’ve spent some time playing on cruise ships. In addition to playing with many singers, I helped “play on” jugglers, magicians, and comedians. Then I played them off again! In show business, you find that playing people off is sometimes absolutely necessary.

I later earned a masters degree in jazz studies at Indiana University, playing in bands led by Dominic Spera and David Baker. I studied trombone with Edwin Anderson. I also completed a master’s thesis on Jack Teagarden while at IU.

Professional Activities

Over the years, I’m fortunate to have played with some amazing musicians. Here are some of the luminaries, and of course playing with these musicians was often a one-time event: Randy Brecker, Jerry Coker, Benny Golson, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Bill Watrous, and Joe Williams. Importantly, though, I’ve played with many fantastic musicians who aren’t so well known. Today, most of my recurring work is with Tim Patrick and his Blue Eyes Band

Teaching

Since 2015, I’ve been teaching mostly beginner trombonists. It’s a lot of fun, and importantly I think I’ve been able to benefit my students. In 2020, the pandemic made it a necessity to teach lessons online. As a consequence, I’ve become accustomed to (and more expert at) teaching this way. If you’re interested in trombone lessons for yourself or a family member, contact me today!