My family's love for music greatly influenced me: my father was a tenor soloist and my mother was a concert pianist who taught me to play piano at a young age. When I was in 5th grade, I took up the sousaphone with the idea and inspiration of marching in parades.
During my high school years, I developed a love for jazz and added trombone to my musical skills so I could join the jazz band. I played tuba for a community wind ensemble and the trombone for the local Jr. college jazz band. I learned trumpet due to necessity while still in high school; a back injury made playing the sousaphone impossible and so I turned to the trumpet which was much lighter and therefore more comfortable for me to play. While attending CAL, I played sousaphone for 2 years in their marching band which was great fun!
Since college I have played mostly trombone for various churches and small groups in the South Bay.
