A history lesson about my relationship with drums and music…

I started playing drums when I was 10 years old. I always had this inherent urge to play the drums. It was almost as if they called out to me, like I was being chosen by them. No one in my family played music, so I can’t really say where it all came from. My mother always talks about me stealing the lids off of the pots and pans in the kitchen and hanging them under the basement stairs to create my own version of a kit. Shortly after that, they got me a snare drum and then a year or so later they got me my first drum set. I still remember everything about that day.

I started playing in middle school band and continued through high school and college. I played in Cherry Creek High School Jazz Band for all 4 years of High School. I also played Snare Drum for 3 years in the Marching Band. I went to CU Denver and played in many different jazz combos and Bands. At this time I was also playing out all over town with a bunch of different groups. After college, I would start playing withy longest running project, Fox Street. Over the course of the next ten years, we would put out 3 full length albums and tour extensively around America and briefly in Europe.

I studied with local Denver Jazz icon, Paul Romaine, since I was 15 and am still learning from him.  

I was lucky enough to personally study with world renown New Orleans drumming legend, Stanton Moore, for over 7 years. I'm still learning from him and actively participate in the online Stanton Moore Drum Academy. In my educational years I has very fortunate to study and/or be directed by many amazing musicians such as Ron Miles (Bill Frisell), Dave Liebman (Miles Davis), Luis Conte (Various Artists) and local Denver Jazz teachers Paul Romaine, Drew Morell, Jeff Jenkins, Eric Gunnison, Ken Walker, and more.

I have had the opportunity to play with many different musicians such as...

• George Porter Jr. (The Meters)

• Eddie Roberts (The New Mastersounds)

• Antwaun Stanley (Vulfpeck)

• Cory Wong (Vulfpeck)

• John Medeski (MMW)

• Stanton Moore (Galactic)

• Aron Magner (Disco Biscuits)

• Marc Brownstein (Disco Biscuits)

• Allen Aucoin (Disco Buscuits)

• Tom Hamilton (JRAD, Brothers Past)

• Robert Randolph (RRFB)

• Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic)

• Ron Holloway (Various Artists)

• Eric Krasno (Soulive, Lettuce)

• Adam Deitch (Lettuce)

• Dominic Lalli (Big Gigantic)

• Jeremy Salkin (Big Gigantic)

• Jeff Franca (Thievery Corporation)

• Papa Mali (Papa Mali)

• Ron Miles (Bill Frisell)

• Dave King (The Bad Plus)

• Gabe Mervine (Motet)

• Ryan Jalbert (Motet)

• CR Gruver (New Orleans Suspects)

• Todd Smallie (JJ Grey, Derek Trucks Band)

• Josh Fairman (Sunsquabi, Scanhope Sound)

• Mark Levy (Circles Around The Sun)

• Bill McKay (Derek Trucks Band, Leftover Salmon)

• Bridget Law (Elephant Revival)

and many more...