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About me..
My grandfather introduced me to the guitar and while in high school, I began studying with jazz guitarist Harry Leahey and rock guitarist Greg Howe. After graduating I taught for awhile at the Somerville School of Music in N.J. before relocating to Arizona to attend Northern Arizona University where I graduated with honors with a degree in classical guitar performance. While there, I studied with classical guitarist Thomas Sheeley, performed as part of the NAU jazz department, and taught lessons through NAU's Preparatory School of Music.
After moving to California, I began my graduate studies in jazz guitar at San Diego State University where I studied performance with Art Johnson and composition/arranging and theory with Rick Helzer. During this time, I directed the SDSU Jazz Guitar Ensemble as well as taught privately through the SDSU Community Music School, ultimately earning my M.M. in jazz studies while being elected a member of the Society of Pi Kappa Lambda.
Soon after I joined the faculty of Southwestern College in San Diego as a professor of music where I taught Guitar, Piano, History/Appreciation and Musicianship classes while also developing and revising the applied Guitar curriculum. At the same time, I ran a private teaching studio in the San Diego area where I taught many aspects of guitar and piano performance including rock, blues, jazz and classical styles. While in California, I also played, recorded and toured throughout the western United States with several rock/pop bands while continuously performing throughout the area in various jazz groups, classical ensembles and pit orchestras.
My wife and I relocated back to New Jersey in 2007 and we had our
first daughter in the fall of 2008 and a second daughter in the Spring
of 2012. Currently I'm giving private lessons as well as teaching
courses in Guitar, Music Technology, Digital Music Composition, History/Appreciation (jazz,classical and popular) and Music Fundamentals at Raritan Valley and Middlesex County Colleges.
