I grew up in a musical family in Tucson, where my dad was a high school choir teacher for 25 years. I had the privilege to be in his choirs for 2 years! I attended Northern Arizona University studying music education/performance 3 years (music scholarship), Pima College music ed. 1 year. This included 3 hours per semester of private voice. Basically a different language every semester (French, Italian, German). During this time I formed an acoustic folk/rock duo night club act and played around Tucson for several years. Then I moved to L.A. to pursue my dreams. There I played beach clubs in another duo. I also was a studio singer and produced and sold a couple of jingles. I have been a staff singer with Arizona Opera since 1992. I have been in 80 + productions/600+ performances. I just signed a contract to be in 3 operas in the 2012 - 2013 season. Also in 1992 I started my own business as a pre-school music specialist and that has been my day job for the last 20 years. I'm known as...

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I started playing the guitar at age 17. I was being paid to play guitar and hand drums for dance classes at his college by the age of 19, and was hired on to the guitar faculty of the Fairmount School of Music at the age of 24. I realized that I'd gotten good only partially through short bursts of discipline lasting up to 6 weeks or so before I had to relax and just have fun for a while, and that for most people, year-round discipline was impossible due to temperament or other demands on people's time. These observations led me to boil down a teaching approach I summarize like this: "The more you have your guitar in your lap, the better player you're going to become. The best way to keep the guitar in your lap is to be playing things that are fun. For you. While it is essential to have a certain amount of technique in order to...

As a composer I have found it necessary never to stray too far from performance. The shear exhilaration one can obtain through playing an instrument is unique and powerful. I have devoted my life to trying to understand and master this elusive beast we call Music. As a child, of a peculiar spirit, I demanded my parents get me guitar and piano lessons. I felt an instant connection to these instruments and was compelled to investigate. After years of inquiry I ended up attending New School for the Arts, a high school devoted to the arts where I
studied music composition. From there, I went on to the University of Arizona to receive degrees in Music Composition and Philosophy with minors in Mathematics and English Literature. For my Masters' programs I wondered into the world of contemporary composers and experimental music at Mills College in Oakland where I finished my M.A. in Music Composition as well as my M.F.A. in Electronic Music and Recording Media. All the while pursuing a...