teaching

composer/pianist/educator

I currently teach music theory & composition and coordinate the jazz program at Virginia Tech in the mountains of southwest Virginia. We’re a gazillion miles from anywhere up here, but it’s absolutely beautiful and a wonderful part of the world in which to live. Even though Blacksburg is quite isolated, we’ve been fortunate to host some world-class musicians at the university as part of our small jazz series over the past few years, including John Hollenbeck & the Claudia Quintet, Theo Bleckmann, Gary Versace and Tony Malaby. Concerts and masterclasses scheduled for 2007-2008 include Andrew Bishop & the Hank Williams Project, Alex Norris, the Jonathan Kreisberg Trio and Andrew Heglund, plus there’s some great music happening this season right down the road in Roanoke at the Jefferson Center, with appearances this year by Bela Fleck, Bill Frisell, Henry Butler and McCoy Tyner. VT is a great place, and with our newly approved minor concentration in jazz studies due on the books for fall 2008, I’d encourage any of you young musicians out there looking for a college home for the next four-to-five years to give us a look.

VISIT Virginia Tech and the VT Dept. of Music

I frequently head out of town on weekends for guest appearances as a composer/director with various university bands and as an adjudicator at middle school, high school and collegiate jazz festivals all over the US. If you’re interested in having me out to your school or festival, please email me or give me a call at the numbers listed on the CONTACT page. Recent appearances include the Monterey Jazz Festival, Reno Jazz Festival, University of Oregon, University of Kansas and Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

I’ll be on tour this fall with BUG offering concerts and masterclasses in Michigan. If you’re around, please come check us out. More details, including concert/masterclass times and ticket information for performances, can be found on the BUG website at www.bugtet.com or on the BUG myspace hive.