ABOUT ME

I am originally from Northern Virginia, born and raised in Fairfax County. Like many kids, I began playing music in elementary school. I chose to play the saxophone because both of my parents and many of my siblings also played the saxophone. While growing up, my passion for music grew. When the time came to think about college, I knew that music was the right choice.

I began college at James Madison University in the fall of 1983 studying saxophone performance. Shortly after arriving at JMU, I met my wife, Janet. While in college, I worked as a musician at Busch Gardens Williamsburg (at that time known as "Busch Gardens: The Old Country"). I graduated from JMU in May of 1987 with my Bachelor of Music degree. Shortly after graduation, Janet and I were married.

In the fall of 1987, I entered graduate school at the University of Northern Colorado. After a brief stint in graduate school, I decided that I was not on the right path and made the decision to return to Virginia to perform at Busch Gardens. Janet and I both worked at Busch Gardens for numerous seasons. I spent many years working as a musician, but also worked as a stage manager, audio technician, and music supervisor. During the Busch Gardens "off-seasons," I had the opportunity to do various other jobs including show tours, cruise ship gigs, and freelance gigs. I even had a few "less glamorous" jobs including delivering phone books and cooking pizza.

Our family doubled in size within the next few years. Tyler (b. 1996) and Nicole (b. 1998) kept Janet and me very busy while we maintained our respective jobs and responsibilities. Interestingly, both Tyler and Nicole have worked as musicians at Busch Gardens also. Tyler played clarinet in "Roll Out The Barrel" during the 2016 summer season and will be returning to play in the fall of 2019, and Nicole played cello in "Gloria" during the 2017 and 2018 Christmas Town seasons and will be returining to play for the 2019 Christmas Town season as well.

While Tyler and Nicole were still young, in the spring of 2004, I decided to make somewhat of a career change. I left Busch Gardens and entered school at ECPI College of Technology. I studied web development and graduated summa cum laude with an Associates degree in computer science in the spring of 2006. Shortly after graduating from ECPI, I began working for a small web development company in Williamsburg. While working there, I developed web sites for numerous clients of all types. I also developed a fondness for creating database applications utilizing both Microsoft Access and SQL (Structured Query Language) Server databases.

My day job as a web developer allowed me to have the flexibility to continue my active career in music. I played steadily with Hot House, Limelight, and the Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra. I also had many various freelance jobs.

In over 10 years developing web sites and applications, I learned a great deal; however, in the fall of 2017, my employer's business reached the point where he could no longer sustain me as an employee. Like the saying goes, "When one door closes, another door opens." That saying certainly proved true; at that time, I had the opportunity to return to Busch Gardens. I accepted a position as musician and band captain in the "Starfright Orchestra" show during their Howl-O-Scream season. After a successful but brief run in "Starfright," I was asked to direct a 20-piece orchestra for one of the shows at Busch Gardens's Christmas Town. In addition to directing, I had the opportunity to work as a substitute musician in the Christmas Town shows on saxophone, clarinet, flute, and electric bass. Most recently, I have been hired as a contractor for Busch Gardens to work as a music director, audio consultant, arranger, and show producer.

I am currently working 100% as a freelance musician. I have had the opportunity to work in numerous types of musical situations from solo saxophone to full bands and orchestras in just about every style you could imagine. I am proud of my great musical ear and my abilities as a trained musician. I can adapt quickly to any musical situation. In addition to playing, I have gained invaluable experience working as an arranger, recording engineer, and music director.

I am easy to work with in any of the musical areas that I work in and I hope that we can work together on any type of project.

On to the next adventure …