Performer
I believe that music is a powerful vehicle for personal development and spiritual enrichment cultivated through daily work, discipline, curiosity, and levity. It is a lens into the world and into the soul. Musical practice confers upon the practitioner a sense of “oneness” with the world and in particular with our community. Music breeds responsibility, respect, curiosity, and a sense of stewardship for humanity and our environment. Music is worthy of serious investment.
“The currency of music itself… I always trust it.” – Pat Metheny
Ensemble Performances
Ensembles
Over the course of multiple decades, I am incredibly fortunate to have built meaningful and rewarding relationships with wonderful people, organizations, and institutions.
I am the Founder, President, and Artistic Director of Arcomusical, a non-profit organization with a mission to spread the joy of the musical bow. I am a member of two wonderful new music organizations in Chicago, the Grossman Ensemble and Ensemble Dal Niente. I am the first-call substitute for the timpani chair of the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
From 2001-2014, as Due East, I enjoyed building a legacy of adventurous repertoire for flute and percussion duo with the superbly talented flutist, Erin Lesser. And I always excited to perform and record on occasion with my friends in Third Coast Percussion.
Preferred Instruments
I am proud to endorse the percussion instrument and implement manufacturers Pearl/Adams, Evans, Innovative Percussion, and Sabian, that each deliver tools of the highest quality for use in teaching and performance.
Since the Sabian acquisition of the Turkish cymbal manufacturer Crescent, I am thrilled to utilize a combination of Crescent and Sabian plates that provide rich and unique timbral possibilities.
Evans Drumheads provide an incredibly broad spectrum of membrane options for each instrument. Through a process of experimentation, I have chosen drum head designs that allow each drum to speak at its fullest. I have never been happier with the sound of my drums.
Pearl’s concert snare drums, Masterworks drum set, and deep bench of percussion implements allow me to create the perfect sound in any piece of new music. And Pearl’s collaboration with Adams keyboard instruments is a dream come true for the total percussionist.
The creativity and dedication that Innovative Percussion brings to its wide array of stick and mallet designs means that I can trust that I will find just the right implement to create the sounds I imagine.
“Post-Lightened” included the use of Pearl drums, Adams glockenspiel, and Sabian cymbals