I was born into a very musical family. My parents were both involved in church orchestra and my dad was a member of the US Army Band. From a very young age, I was drawn to the drums but my parents wanted to me learn piano first and that became a very important building block to becoming a well rounded musician.
I began playing in church while I was still in middle school. I learned as much as I could from the amazing directors that God placed into my life. Some of these directors were Steve Shivers, George Rawlins, and Larry Mayo. They played a vital role in my early development.
I studied music at Jacksonville State University where I was a member of the Marching Southerners, JSU Chamber Winds, JSU Jazz 1, and the Hardcorps Pep Band. I also played in three broadway style shows the drama and choral department produced. Being part of so many different groups allowed me to diversify my skills and learn how to adapt to different musical settings.
I went onto play for ProShip Entertainment on board the Ryndam of Holland America. My experience at JSU made it a seamless transition from a learning environment to a professional one. I gained valuable experience from many different guest artists and being able to sight read shows with little to no rehearsals has definitely helped in several more areas of my musical career. I currently play with corporate bands as well as a member of the worship teams at Southside Church.
My heart for teaching has stemmed from my time at different churches, middle and high school band programs and teaching privately. I believe there is no better way to use my knowledge and experience than to pass that on to the next generation of worship leaders and musicians. Whether that be playing drums for your youth band, or a main service, or maybe you want to make all state or march snare in your high school marching band. Whatever your goals are, I’ll be able to help hone and develop your techniques and skills to be successful.