happy, healthy musicians
are first and foremost
happy, healthy people
the musician
I began making music at a very young age by singing in various community groups. Once I got old enough to start an instrument in school, I chose the clarinet. I remember going to band every day that first year, piecing together my instrument, and staring with intense jealousy at the percussionists. So the next year I switched instruments and I have been playing drums ever since.
I have performed in orchestras all around the nation, from the Verdi Orchestra of Milan to the Louisiana Philharmonic down in New Orleans. These engagements, along with many summers spent at Aspen Music Festival and the National Repertory Orchestra, have provided me with lasting friendships that continue to inspire my music making. And I can’t think of a better way to travel the world than through music.
These days, I serve as principal of the Greeley Philharmonic and play as a substitute and extra throughout Colorado, including the Colorado Symphony and the Boulder Philharmonic. Sometimes I wonder if the community was the reason I’ve played music all these years. And then I remember how much joy I get from playing triangle in a Mahler symphony.
the professional
Excellent musicianship requires dedication and patience. It requires people skills and a growth mindset. For years, I had no idea that in my pursuit to become an excellent percussionist, I was also developing a skillset that transfers to non-musical pursuits, too.
While subbing in the Colorado Symphony, I learned that the Lamont School of Music had an opening in its admission office. I knew that this would give me an opportunity to use my love of music to help increase enrollment in a school that has given me so much. In this role, I spent a lot of time considering the varied careers our young artists will have. I now tell my own success story of a percussionist who plays regularly with incredible musicians while also leveraging skills in writing and operational success to craft a fulfilling life in the arts. Musicians don’t often allow ourselves the opportunity to redefine success. But when we do, the real music begins.
I joined the Colorado Watercolor Society seeking a community where I could grow as a painter. The same curiosity that fuels my music making also led me to join the board of directors to learn more about nonprofit leadership. A few years later, I am now the President of the society and have used the same dedication to detail required as a musician to craft a narrative that has led to increased engagement and a bright future for the organization.
No, working in admissions or volunteering for a nonprofit is nothing like playing a Ravel snare drum part . But I get to do both! And who wouldn’t want that?
the artist
Art and music are inextricably linked. In my experience, no medium gives me as many opportunities to explore this duality as transparent watercolor. As a classically trained musician, watercolor challenges skills I’ve worked decades to develop in my playing. In the orchestra, deliberate practice gives us the technical ability necessary to execute difficult passages: excellence through control. Ironically, watercolor seems the perfect opposite! Pigment seems to have a mind of its own when suspended in water, and the best results seem to come when I actively try not to control it. Music and watercolor have each taught me valuable lessons that inform the other. Adaptation is crucial in a musical performance. There is certainly plenty to adapt to when painting with watercolors—which is exactly why I paint without pencil lines! And why many of my paintings have secret mistakes on the back. I try to just go with the flow.