Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

I am currently on faculty at the State University of New York at Fredonia (SUNY Fredonia), where I teach tuba and euphonium lessons, direct the Fredonia Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, coach brass chamber music, and teach courses related to low brass pedagogy and education. I am active as a soloist and pedagogue, presenting recitals, masterclasses, and clinics in universities and public schools across the Northeast and Midwest. Most recently, I was an invited guest artist at the 2024 Midwest Regional Tuba-Euphonium Conference hosted by the International Tuba Euphonium Association, where I presented a solo recital and a lecture. I am a proud graduate of SUNY Potsdam (B.M. Music Education & B.M. Performance ’16) and the Eastman School of Music (M.M. ’18, D.M.A. ’21), where I was awarded the Performer’s Certificate and Lecture Recital Prize. 

 

What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

I grew up in Syracuse and have spent most of my life living in upstate New York. I remember taking trips to the Adirondacks beginning when I was very young, and I have spent a lot of time in and around the Adirondack Park. I have also known about LMC for a while now and I am excited to spend some time at camp this summer working with young, talented musicians!

 

What can campers expect to learn while working with you this summer?

In my opinion, becoming a great instrumentalist- regardless of the instrument, really- comes down to two things: mastery of the instrument and mastery of the ear. The tuba is simply the vehicle through which we translate what we first hear in our minds through audiation. In addition to working on fundamentals (foundational skills such as tone quality, intonation, time, range, flexibility, etc.), we will also dedicate lesson and practice time to singing and buzzing on the mouthpiece, both of which require active listening and help to develop audiation in addition to modeling proper support and air control on the instrument. 

Share with us some of your professional accomplishments.

I am currently teaching tuba/euphonium and electronic composition at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA, and play tuba with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra. I previously held the position of Adjunct Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Texas at Tyler while living in Dallas and teaching a private studio of low brass students. I've been fortunate to maintain an active performance career playing with groups such as: NewStream Brass, the Dallas Brass Band, Flower City Brass, The Syracuse Orchestra, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (Buffalo, NY), and have held the position of Principal Tuba with the Venice Symphony (FL), Ash Lawn Opera (VA), and the South Shore Symphony Orchestra (FL). I received a DMA in Tuba Performance and Literature with a Certificate in Arts Leadership from the Eastman School of Music ('20) where I was a Teaching Assistant for both the Tuba Studio and the Eastman Audio Research Studio.

 

What excites you about Luzerne Music Center?

I'm excited to work with talented young musicians while being surrounded by world-class faculty! I'm also excited to return to Upstate NY to spend the summer in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains!

 

What can campers expect to learn while working with you this summer?

Campers can expect to work on the fundamentals of brass playing with music that they connect with. I believe as brass musicians that we are storytellers of sound and in order to tell our stories we simply sing through the lips. By devoting concentrated time and effort each day on the fundamentals of playing a brass instrument (breathing, mouthpiece buzzing, tone production, flexibility, etc.) we become better equipped to play with a sense of ease and naturalness, and can better 'sing' through the instrument. Over my career as an educator I've generated and compiled a large library of fundamental exercises accompanied by backing tracks that help students progress on their instrument while also enforcing and encouraging good general musicianship skills: Time (consistent tempo/groove), Pitch (intonation and accuracy), and Style (being able to play with different "feels" and sound concepts).