My Influences

I consider myself to be a unique musician, because my influences are spread across North America and Europe.  My early influences were of course my teachers in the Pittsburgh Symphony, Peter Sullivan and Murray Crewe.  However, during my time with the Memphis Symphony, I traveled extensively across North America taking lessons with various trombonists and brass teachers.  In the US, I have been influenced by Michael Mulcahy (Chicago Sympony) Rick Stout (Cleveland Orchestra) Steven Witser (LA Philharmonic) John Rojak (NYC Freelancer) Dan Perantoni (tuba soloist and faculty at Indiana University) and Sam Pilafian (Empire Brass)

However, I have also studied with many prominent European trombonists including Michel Becquet (international soloist) Ian Bousfield (Vienna Philharmonic) Denis Wick (London Symphony Orchestra) Wolfram Arndt (formerly Berlin Philharmonic) Carl Lenthe (Bavarian State Opera) and Dudley Bright (London Symphony Orchestra)

Some now ask me if I consider myself an American, English, German or French trombonist, and I honestly feel that I am a mixture of all of the above.  I find that each school of playing provides various strengths and weaknesses, and having studied in different schools allows us to borrow elements from each.

In addition, I have found that in studying with trombonists of very different backgrounds, one begins to see common threads in all schools of playing.  These commonalities have become, in my opinion, the principles that make up my teaching and playing concepts, since I believe they are universal to great trombonists everywhere.