My career as a performing artist and professional musician began when I sang the role of Amahl in a production of Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti in 1965 and 1966 in Galveston, Texas at the church where I was a member. The production included singers from the Houston Opera (Mother and the Three Kings). At around the same time I began lessons in classical organ playing. I had already had six years of classical piano lessons. At age 15 I was given the position of Organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Galveston, playing for their rehearsals and Sunday morning radio-broadcast services. I attended Austin College (Presbyterian) in Sherman, Texas and graduated with a B.A. in 1977 with a major in music and a minor in psychology. I also studied organ performance, literature and history with Dr. Robert Anderson at Southern Methodist University. In 1978 I moved to Northern Virginia and became the Director of Music and Organist for Redeemer Lutheran Church in McLean, Virginia — a post that I held until 1991 when I opened a recording studio and took a year of sabbatical from church music. In April of 1992 I became the Director of Music and Organist at Wesley United Methodist church in Vienna, Virginia where I conducted the 36 voice choir in traditional repertoire and choral masterworks accompanied by chamber ensembles contracted from the NSO and other well-known D.C. area performance groups. I administered a music program that included multiple bell, children/youth, instrumental and adult vocal choirs. In December of 2004 I took the position of Director of Music and Curator of the von Beckerath organ at Christ Lutheran Church in Washington, D.C. In 2007 I became the Director of Music and Organist at Peace Lutheran Church in Alexandria and in October of 2009 I moved to the post of Director of Music and Organist at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Arlington, Virginia where I stayed until the end of 2015. Over the course of 2016 I held several interim positions as Choir Director, Organist, or combined positions and am now the Organist for the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Fairfax on Wednesday nights and Sunday mornings. I operate a private teaching studio and a boutique recording studio where I work on self-published arrangements and compositions, vanity recordings for performers and other recording projects. During the 1980s and 1990s I had the great fortune of being the student of Anthony Chanaka (piano) and Dr. Conrad Bernier (composition, organ performance and classical improvisation). I was Dr. Bernier’s last student.

My recital experience has included recitals in the U.S. and Europe, with a recital repertoire ranging from the 16th through 20th century composers. I have conducted and performed as organist and continuo player sacred works of large scale (including numerous performances of the complete Messiah of G. F. Handel), cantatas of Bach, masses or oratorios by Schubert, Vivaldi, Saint-Saëns, Fauré and Vierne. My Master Classes include those in Organ Performance with Dr. Russell Saunders and Kenneth Leighton, and in Choral Conducting and Vocal Pedagogy with Dr. Bruce Lunkley (former President of the National Association of Teacher’s of Singing).

My ongoing work as a composer and arranger explores of a variety styles, including post-romantic treatments, modern dance-like chamber works for solo keyboard and MIDI orchestral instrumentation, sacred choral and solo works (original and arrangements), compositions and arrangements for organ and solo instruments, children's songs, ragtime, American 'standards' and 19th century gospel hymns. Current projects include a collection of pieces by J. S. Bach, arranged and performed via MIDI and computer, a collection of arrangements of American popular standards and a series of original works recorded through MIDI and electronic instrumentation.

I have engineered and produced compact disc and cassette recordings for The American Camerata for New Music (Washington, D.C., John Stephens, Director), Christ Church (Alexandria, Virginia), The Austin College A Cappella choir (Dr. Bruce Lunkley, Director) The Virginia Gentlemen (University of Virginia), the Georgetown Chimes (Georgetown University) as well as numerous singers, instrumentalists, composers, teachers and chamber ensembles of the Washington, D.C. metro area. 

In 1997 I was asked to provide a specialized program of instruction for pre-school children for one of the leading providers of day-care in the Northern Virginia suburbs. I subsequently created, developed and managed the LittleNotes Music Teaching Program from 1997-2001, enrolling over 500 students in the program during that time. As the program grew I added a staff of four teachers to help me provide classes at seven of the company’s day-care centers. I currently reside in Oakton, Virginia where I manage my recording and teaching studio. I am the proud owner of two Steinway B Grand pianos, an Allen Protegé electronic organ, a Neupert 2 manual (after Hemsch) harpsichord and a complete MIDI and acoustic recording studio.

I give private lessons in my music studio in Northern Virginia.  Find out more about studying music with me by using the Private Lessons tab.

I am affiliated with the following professional music organizations:

• Washington Music Teachers Association
• Northern Virginia Music Teachers Association
• Fairfax - Loudoun Music Fellowship 
• American Guild Of Organists