A BRIEF MUSICAL HISTORY

For over 40 years, since I was 11 years old, I’ve been studying and performing music.

It started with a little 2-octave keyboard and me teaching myself how to play a melody with chords. From there, I joined middle-school band. Because we couldn’t afford to buy any instruments, I started out playing the drums and I’m really glad about that. Starting out on drums helped me develop a strong sense of rhythm that I still carry with me today and instill in my students.

I spent all my high school years teaching myself to play trumpet, clarinet, flute, oboe, french horn, saxophone, tuba, trombone, all the tuned percussion instruments, plus classical piano and the pipe organ. By my senior year of high school, I was playing 1st trumpet in the “pep band”, “taps” at military funerals, 1st oboe in the wind ensemble, French horn in another band where I was the part-time conductor, and accompanying choirs on piano.

Very luckily (for me), my high-school band director had terrible migraines and so, i was sometimes asked to “substitute teach” my own classmates when he wasn’t able to come to school… because, at that point, everyone knew i was going to be a band director. So, by 16 years old, I was conducting a group of 75 musicians and loving it.

When I went to university, I was conducting bands and church choirs while studying oboe, piano, and voice. Eventually, I felt the need to simplify. As much as oboe was my favorite instrument to play, I had to give it up. (I still may come back to it someday!) I thought I wanted to become either a professional conductor, composer AND/OR pianist/accompanist. In the end, I accomplished all three, got a degree in music business and earned a certification in piano pedagogy.

Today, in Paris, I teach piano, compose in Cubase and conduct when asked. I’m passionate about both classical and broadway music. My passions are 19th century chamber music and Sondheim.

That little kid with the 2-octave keyboard NEVER imagined he’d be teaching piano, performing, and conducting in Paris, France, but here we are!

In 2020, I earned an award for “Best Music Teacher in Paris” from Expatriates Magazine.