He is a bassoonist, drummer and teacher who was born in Oklahoma City and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He began singing when he was four years old and then started playing the trumpet in his 5th grade, which he quickly changed to bassoon. He also played the drums as his father was an amateur drummer and he discovered rock music in the shape of The Beatles. He studied at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music and the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver.
He has appeared with several orchestras from states that include Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Utah and as a chamber musician he has toured all over the world with ensembles that include the Oklahoma Woodwind Quintet, Academia Filarmonica and the North American Bassoon Quartet, which he co-founded.
Very much involved in music festivals he was the Principal Bassoon at Eisenhadt, Austria’s Classical Music Fesitval for 17 years and gave solo performances with the Festival Orchestra three times and has been a teacher at the Red Lodge Music Festival since 1980.
In the world of popular music he became the drummer for the rock band MidLife Crysis in 1990 and also produces concerts for Tribute, who are a tribute band to The Beatles.
Appearing on several recordings he has featured on A Christmas Delight with the Oklahoma Woodwind Quintet, Moosmann Live and Moosmann Artists Sampler Disc.
He is currently a member of the Double Reed Society and is the Principal Bassoon for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic Orchestra.
As a teacher he has been the clinician at many state musical education conferences, given international master classes and from 1981 he has been the Associate Professor of Bassoon at the University of Oklahoma and also takes courses in popular musical culture including “The Beatles…Four Lads Who Shook the World.”
Oklahoma Woodwind Quintet recordings
Angels We Have Heard on High (Traditional French/James Chadwick/Edward Barnes)
Integra IMCD 801 (CD: A Christmas Delight)
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