After piano lessons as a youngster, I discovered my sister's neglected guitar & began a lifelong journey of musical discovery.

I heard everything from the show tunes my sisters played on the piano to Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel etc. on the phonograph & radio. Even on TV there were the big bands on talk shows, & singers presenting the great songs of the past decades.

As a teen I discovered peers I could jam with & learn about the music that was opening our horizons. In junior high school I participated in a great choral group & in high school in school band & some small groups on our city's educational radio station.

Around my college years a whole expanded world of genres & arts opened up, including exposure to world music, modern classical music & dance.

Fast forward to my move to Massachusetts as a young adult, & my real discovery of the vast legacy of jazz music in American & world culture. 

I've had the good fortune of having mentors including Yusef Lateef, Sheila Jordan, Eugene Uman Freddie Bryant, George Kaye & Paul Arslanian in classroom, workshop, & jam session settings.

This evolved into getting more & more comfortable on stage & playing many gigs over the years with wonderful musicians.

Currently my focus is on honing my skills in a modern jazz context & developing my musical voice & artistic vision, including composition & recording.

All the while, it's a gift to be able to play music to uplift people & sometimes, even have them dance!