To Judges

Dear Judges, fans, friends, and family: Welcome to my corner of the world! I'm excited to share with you all of the music I have in my heart. This website---this career path for me---started with one simple, undeniable need. That need is to make music. So, for my senior project, I did just that: I got a band together of seniors at Columbus North, put together two jazz pieces with them, and performed to open the Show Choir Concert on March 6. Unfortunately, all evidence I have of that is photos and friends, so I decided to showcase my music making skills in a few other ways for you.

Opening for the Spring Choir Concert!

I put together a small jazz combo (~5 people) and performed at Guitar City's first ever open mic night. The video from that should be linked on the home page. Then, I made the Autumn Leaves single that you can also see there. I am very proud of it. Even though it's certainly not the best thing I've ever heard, I made it, and it's neat to have that little piece of my soul floating out here on the internet. I didn't know I would feel that way about it until September of this year.

I've always loved music. Dad says I was "kickin' beats in the womb," and I believe it. When my sister, Rose, and I went to visit our dad on the weekends, he'd let us listen to Miles Davis's Kind of Blue, Dave Brubeck's Take Five, and other jazz albums while we went to sleep. Jazz has been integral to my development as a person. When I'm feeling down, I might opt for something heavier, like Dizzy Gillespie's Stardust. And when I'm feeling up, I might opt for something bouncier, like Charlie Parker's Donna Lee. But no matter what, the more I listen and the more I play the more I feel like a complete human being. There are many windows to the soul, I think. Eyes, actions, and of course, music. Some people look at the world through a carefully engineered, analytical, crystalline glass window. I look at life through the stained glass of jazz, and I hope I can interest you in a peek.

Once again, welcome!