My goal in life is to ensure that all of my students get the proper music training they need to succeed in either a music career, or in personal musical enjoyment.

My life as a musician began in 5th grade when my parents rented me an alto saxophone to play in the school band. I enjoyed and played it so much that I was good enough in 6th grade to join the middle school jazz band as first chair. I played in both the school band and jazz bands throughout middle school thereafter, also picking up the soprano sax in 7th grade. In high school I continued with my playing in both groups becoming the principal of both. During my high school years I also began playing the tenor saxophone in jazz band, and continued playing the alto sax and soprano sax in regular band.

Outside of band I began to learn and study the guitar on my own. I simply adapted my saxophone music to the guitar for more music to play! Along with classical guitar works, I also began to learn rock pieces from bands like Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Weezer, and Nirvana. By the time I entered college I already owned three guitars!

I did my undergraduate studies at Minnesota State University Mankato in Music Education K-12 (Instrumental). I played in the selected University Wind Ensemble and Saxophone quartet and was principal of both groups for the time I was there. At MSU I continued my primary studies on the saxophone while privately studying the guitar, and now violin, on my own. During this time I also played in rock groups (including my band Threatening Skies), jam sessions, and guitar study sessions with my friends further enhancing my guitar technique. My compositional skills had also grown of the years, since I first began composing at age 12, and by now I had enough skills to write for bands and other ensembles.

It was also during my Mankato years that I developed a love for Romantic music and progressive rock / metal. My favorite music groups consist of Dream Theater, John Petrucci, Liquid Tension Experiment, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Rammstein, and Weezer. My favorite composer is Ludwig van Beethoven, wholm most of my scholarly work is on, but I also enjoy J.S. Bach, Francisco Tarrega, and Villa-Lobos amongst others. My prog rock group in Mankato, Threatening Skies, played works from many of these groups and composers.

After completing my Bachelors of Science degree at MSU, I privately taught music lessons in Alexandria, Minnesota for two years on all of the instruments. I was working six days a week, and at some points had over 70 students to teach. However that wasn't enough for me, as I also conducted / directed the Long Prairie Chamber Orchestra during this time. We played many well known orchestral works for the people of central Minnesota, and even gave a mass concert on Memorial Day, 2004. Being the never-ending musician I am, I also played open mic nights by myself and with former band, Abacus Theory, for fun during my time in Alexandria. Finally in 2005 I decided that I needed to move on with my life, and back to school, for higher education in music.

In 2005-2006 I attended the University of Iowa (the Hawkeye's) for my Master of Arts in Music Education. I completed my degree in December 2006 and now plan to teach orchestra in the public schools, along with private lessons in my free time. In my time at the U of I - I privately studied violin with Dr. Scott Conklin, increasing my teaching and playing abilities on the violin, my compositional total finally went over 500 compositions (meeting the personal goal I had set for my self when I was 12), was selected to play in the University Jazz Guitar Ensemble, held a studio of 30-40 students, and graduated with a Master of Arts in Music Education.  Along with my studies in Iowa I met my wife Megan at the University of Iowa.  Ever since my life has been that much better!

 

During 2007-2008, I taught General Music and Class Guitar at Discovery Public School in Faribault, MN.  Many of the students there where "at risk", meaning that they required more time and one on one interaction.  I really enjoyed working with my students there, and I hope the best for them.  I also worked with local foundations such as Building on Promise while at Discovery, helping to spread the gift of music oustide the classroom and studio. 

If you would like to see some pictures just click on the picture tab to the left.

 

The summer of 2008 finally saw me achieving my goal of becoming a public school orchestra teacher.  I taught at Technical High School and Oak Hill Elementary School in St. Cloud.  Between the two I have five orchestras and a ton of great students!  Of course the question always comes up, "you drive that everyday?"  Of course I do, because of my love for music.  As my father always told me, "a job isn't worth having if you don't want to get up and go to it in the morning."  After the year was over I decided to leave St. Cloud for a job closer to my home in Northfield.  It was a tough decision to leave, but I will always remember all of our great moments and achievements including our many superior ratings at contest, senior projects, and of course playing J.S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 with my wife on organ!

 

This year, 2009, I am teaching much closer to home at Mankato West High School and Dakota Meadows Middle School in Mankato, Minnesota.  I have many great ideas planned for my orchestras there, along with the year in general.  So far this year - my composition total over flew over 600+ works, my new album At the Hand of God is going to be played live with my new bandmates / band Threatening Skies, I look to give a few more guitar concerts, I anticipate on finishing a few more books that I have started, and perhaps I will record a couple classical guitar albums.  Here is to hoping!

	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
10:00am	X	X	X	X	X	Sarah	X
10:30am	X	X	X	X	X	Ben	X
11:00am	X	X	X	X	X		X
11:30am	X	X	X	X	X	Livia	X
12:00pm	X	X	X	X	X	Dave	X
12:30pm	X	X	X	X	X	Maren	X
1:00pm	X	X	X	X	X		X
1:30pm	X	X	X	X	X		X
2:00pm	X	X	X	X	X		X
2:30pm	X		X	X	X		X
3:00pm	X	X	X	X	X		X
3:30pm	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
4:00pm	X	X	X	X	X	X	X
4:30pm	X	X	X	Dylan	X	X	X
5:00pm	Talor (Alt)	Sonja	HOLD	1 Hour	X	X	X
5:30pm	Phil	Eli	Max	Gina / Audrey	X	X	X
6:00pm	Clay	Gabriel		1 Hour	X	X	X
6:30pm	Elias	Taylor	Mark	Lauren	X	X	X
7:00pm	Dana	Brady		Mikayla	X	X	X
7:30pm	Mason		Kent		X	X	X
8:00pm	Brian			Tracy	X	X	X
8:30pm	1 Hour		Erik		X	X	X

 

 

So the question that always comes up in lessons is, "What do you like to play in your free time?" Below I will list my favorite composers, bands, and players that I like to play for fun, in concert settings, and listen to.

Composers: Ludwig van Beethoven, Johann Sebastian Bach, Agustin Barrios Mangore, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Fernando Sor, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Joaquin Rodrigo, Enrique Granados, Isaac Albeniz, Leo Brouwer, Mario Castelnuovo Tedesco, and Julio Sagreras.

Bands: John Petrucci, Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Expirement, Yngwie Malmsteen, Rammstein, Alex Masi, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Rhapsody of Fire, Paul Gilbert, Jeff Loomis, Frank Gamble.

Classical Guitarist:  Julian Bream, William Kanengiser, Kaare Norge, John Williams, Norbert Kraft, Giulio Tampalini.