I am a former band director with 12 years classroom experience. I have taught and performed professionally in the Jackson, TN and Memphis, TN regions for 7 years and have been active as a director, performer, and private instructor in central Florida since 2014. I graduated from the University of Memphis in 2007 with a masters degree in music performance. While at Memphis, I studied with Charles Schulz (principal tubist, Memphis Symphony Orchestra), John Mueller (euphonium, former principal US Army Band "Pershing's Own"), and David Spencer (trumpet, soloist with Hong Kong Symphony and Brazilian National Symphony). While at the UofM, I performed with world-class tubists Jens Bjorn-Larsen and Dan Perantoni. I also earned the Clement Santi Memorial Brass Scholarship. During my teaching tenure, I had multiple students earn the top chairs at All-State, win concerto competitions, be accepted to numerous schools of music (including Northwestern University, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee, Belmont University, University of Mississippi), and be awarded the highest scholarship for entering freshmen (Rudi Scheidt School of Music; Memphis). Also during my tenure, I had the privilege of leading my ensembles to earning numerous awards including Superior and Excellent Ratings. I am in the process of building my own businesses in both private education and Audio Visual Productions. I know what it means to succeed and fail. I know what it takes to bridge the gap between the two—dedication, hard work, and a desire to succeed.