Professional Performing Experience 

• From 2012 to the present performing throughout the Hampton Roads area of Southeastern Virginia, playing various acoustic instruments in both solo and small group ensembles

• From 2010-2012 played guitar, mandolin, drums and sang with The Hardscrabble Hounds, a bluegrass band based in Burlington, Vermont. The group performed throughout the Northeast and recorded an album entitled The River and the Rain. The album featured a number of my original compositions and is available on iTunes and Spotify

• Served as percussionist and principal timpanist with the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes from 2003-2010

• Served as section and principal percussionist for the Binghamton Philharmonic from 2003-2010

• In 2005 attended the Brevard Music Festival in Brevard, North Carolina as a full scholarship head resident. While there worked with conductor Keith Lockhart (Boston Pops, Utah Symphony) and studied with Tim Adams (formerly of Pittsburgh Symphony)

• In 2004 attended the Aspen Music Festival and School as a scholarship student performing with such notable conductors as James Conlon (Metropolitan Opera), Hugh Wolff (Paris Opera), and David Zinman (Tonhalle Orchestra, Zurich) and studied with Doug Howard (Dallas Symphony Orchestra) and Jon Hass (New York University)

Professional Teaching Experience

Itinerant Strings Teacher, Virginia Beach City Public Schools

August 2017-June 2019

• Responsible for teaching beginning strings to 5th graders at five elementary schools

• Instructed violin, viola, cello and bass to mixed instrument classes of 5 to 35 students

• Composed and transcribed alternate versions of pieces to accommodate students of differing abilities and academic needs.

Music Teacher, Jenkins Elementary School

Newport News, VA August 2014-June 2017

• Taught general music classes to kindergarten through 5th grade

• Planned and conducted various grade level concerts and musicals

• The position required extensive work in lesson planning and implementation, developing differentiation strategies and assessments, and teaching various vocal, instrumental, and musical techniques

• Created an after school program through the federally funded 21st Century program, using traditional African drums to teach music and mathematics concepts

• Participated in 100+ hours of professional development in classroom management, instructional sequencing and design, instructional delivery, and strategies to best serve the highly diverse population of our Title I school

Private Lesson Instructor

Ithaca, NY/ Burlington, VT/ Hampton Roads, VA August 2002-Current

• Teach students from ages 6-40+ in classical percussion, drum set, mandolin, guitar, violin, and ukulele

• Instruction includes preparing students for college auditions and NYSSMA auditions for New York All-State bands and orchestra

• Created my own curriculum based on developing students’ technical, musical, and creative abilities

Lecturer, Hartwick College,

Oneonta, NY  August 2005-May 2008

• Taught private percussion lessons for both music major and non-major students

• Created a well-rounded music curriculum with a focus on technical and artistic musical skills

• Devised and implemented an evaluation rubric for grading music students

Instructor, Community School for Music and Arts, Ithaca, NY August 2006-May 2007

• Instructed a steel drum orchestra class for students ranging in age from 8-60