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It’s been rather busy lately… but performing the entire film score to Star Wars: A New Hope with a great section in the ...
04/22/2026

It’s been rather busy lately… but performing the entire film score to Star Wars: A New Hope with a great section in the Wheeling Symphony and playing some rich brass quintet rep with organ, and choir with my WVU Colleagues ( and .houde) and two soon to be DMA graduates from WVU ( and ) was very satisfying. Life has been pretty full lately, but I’m very grateful to enjoy music with great musicians and people.

WVU Faculty Jazz performance coming up —— I’ll be playing some small group jazz with my wonderful WVU colleagues in our Faculty Jazz Quintet on Saturday, 4/25 at 1 pm in Falbo Theatre at the Candy Creative Arts.

This performance will be part of our WVU Jazz Festival which will take place on Friday, 4/24 and Saturday, 4/25. At the festival we’ll be featuring the one and only . I’m really looking forward to this!

Other WVU Jazz Festival concert info below:

🎵Friday, 4/24 @ 7:30 pm - WVU Jazz combos, Funk and Soul Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble 2

🎵Saturday, 4/25 @ 7:30 pm - Mountaineer Honor Jazz Ensemble, and WVU Jazz Ensemble 1 featuring Paul Thompson.

03/10/2026

I’m grateful to have given a jazz improvisation focused presentation at the WVMEA Conference last weekend.

The focus of the presentation was making choices with restraint. Said differently, looking at harmony only from a dorian and ascending melodic minor standpoint and then, going further to limit your choices, working to gain facility and be expressive only using the first 5 notes of a minor scale.

In this clip, I had attendees sing along as I played the first 5 notes of a minor scale over the changes to Blue Bossa and then I took an intentionally simple lyrical solo, focused only on playing the first five notes of minor for each chord change.

The key is knowing where to start. On minor chords, play the first five notes of minor starting on the root. On dominant chords, one option is to play the first five notes of minor starting on the 5th scale degree. For major chords, play the first five notes of minor starting in the 6th scale degree. For half diminished chords, play the first five notes of minor starting on the flat 3. For dominant chords with alterations (or even normal dominant chords that go to a one chord) play the first five notes of minor starting a half step above the root. Of course, be creative with how you play these five notes. Consider changing octaves and/or moving around this five note collection in different ways. There a LOTS of options.

It can take some time to get used to but it opens up a different side of playing and thought process.

I can’t take credit for this. I owe a lot to Ryan Nielsen and John McNeill for introducing this line of thought in their great book “The Classroom Guide to Jazz Improvisation” and other conversations with other great mentors.

Give it a try and see what happens.

Full and fun weekend getting to play with the West Virginia Symphony both in Charleston and at WVU. Always great to play...
02/24/2026

Full and fun weekend getting to play with the West Virginia Symphony both in Charleston and at WVU. Always great to play with this orchestra, section, and WVU colleagues!

Fun to play soulful music with the Wheeling Symphony this past week!
02/14/2026

Fun to play soulful music with the Wheeling Symphony this past week!

We have a full-time, tenure-track opening in Commercial/Jazz Piano beginning Fall 2026 at West Virginia University. Plea...
01/26/2026

We have a full-time, tenure-track opening in Commercial/Jazz Piano beginning Fall 2026 at West Virginia University. Please consider sharing this with those who might be interested!

It’s always a treat to play with the West Virginia Symphony, especially Mahler 1!
01/25/2026

It’s always a treat to play with the West Virginia Symphony, especially Mahler 1!

Wheeling Symphony concert this past weekend. There’s a reason Beethoven Symphonies are master works!
01/19/2026

Wheeling Symphony concert this past weekend. There’s a reason Beethoven Symphonies are master works!

I’m excited to share that a Graduate Assistantship will be available in my trumpet studio at West Virginia University be...
12/12/2025

I’m excited to share that a Graduate Assistantship will be available in my trumpet studio at West Virginia University beginning in Fall 2026. This position is open to both Master’s and DMA students and will primarily involve assisting with trumpet studio instruction.

Depending on the strengths and interests of the selected individual, responsibilities may also include:

Instructing Jazz Ensemble 2
Coaching Jazz Combos
Working with Brass Chamber Music Ensembles

Applicants with experience in both classical and jazz idioms are strongly encouraged to apply.

WVU Audition days are January 31st, and February 28th, 2026.

For additional details on the benefits of this assistantship and application information, please see the links in my bio. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me directly.

Life has been full but also fun. I’m glad to play in several settings the last month and some change —Wheeling Symphony ...
12/10/2025

Life has been full but also fun. I’m glad to play in several settings the last month and some change —

Wheeling Symphony on Ice, West Virginia Symphony “Listen Where You Live,” WVU Faculty Brass Quintet with guest doctoral students and Dean Keith Jackson for the WVU Woodburn Hall lighting (it was cold!), having out guest trombonist and friend Dr. Ben Carrasquillo join WVU Jazz Ensemble 1 for a concert and masterclasses, performing with the WVU Faculty Jazz and Friends at Tyler Consolidated High School (TCHS), and working with the talented students at TCHS.

I’m grateful to play and learn with these great musicians and friends.

12/10/2025

Been a busy last few months... here's a clip from last month playing with a great band of WVU colleagues and friends at Tyler Consolidated High School. Thank you Artslink, and Debra Price for having us out!

It’s been fun to put on different hats this last little bit… performances with the Wheeling Symphony Brass Quintet for a...
09/23/2025

It’s been fun to put on different hats this last little bit… performances with the Wheeling Symphony Brass Quintet for a 9/11 Service of Remembrance, premiering a cool new arrangement of “Yes God” for trumpet, cello, piano, bass, and recorded track by , and a performance with the Wheeling Symphony playing music from the Prohibition Era.

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Morgantown, WV
26506

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