Like most of our students, my musical career began in the fourth grade after selecting an instrument. Trumpet playing in the school band (Camp Hill, PA) became the activity of choice along with church music, light professional work and five years in the Westshoremen Senior Drum and Bugle corps. Graduation from East Pennsboro Area High School and the Cumberland Perry Area Vo-Tech School happened in 1982.

 

In Fall 1982 I began studying trumpet and music education at the Philadelphia College of Performing Arts. A year after my graduation from PCPA in 1986 the school merged with the Philadelphia College of Art to form the University of the Arts that exists today. After a year of adjunct performance and teaching--mostly marching bands near Philly--I attended classes at the Combs College of Music in Germantown to  complete a music teaching certification. In addition to writing and teaching marching band shows I began an 11-year career as a judge for the competitive marching band circuit.

 

From 1987 to 1989 an enterprising company serving the Catholic schools in the Philly area hired me to teach elementary band and lessons, very similarly to the programs we offer here in State College. I left that position to accept a high school band directorship in Sheffield, PA (Sheffield Area JSHS, Warren County School District) where I taught instrumental music for grades 4-12 for three years. After three years of restoring and building the Sheffield program I moved on to finish a Masters degree at Penn State.

 

In 1992 I was invited to join the SCASD faculty and the State College family. I'm home! It's been great seeing my students and families try, grow and succeed. In addition to a great love of music and children I also enjoy martial arts, outdoor activities such as hunting with my Labradors, raising chickens and honey bees and serving as a Deputy Wildlife Conservation Officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.