2016 has been good to me so far. January was mostly teaching, focusing on UIL solo and ensemble. In February, I had a series of performances playing jazz standards at the Menil Art Museum accompanying an exhibition of works by the artist William Copley. I also went to Dallas to play some gigs with Etched In The Eye, a trio of mine with guitarist Sandy Ewen and pianist Robert Pearson. In March, I was a soloist with the Shepherd School Symphony Orchestra when they played Pictures At An Exhibition, the Mussorgsky/Ravel masterpiece. And at the beginning of April, I had a very exciting recording session with three masterful musicians: bassist Damon Smith, NYC based drummer Joe Hertenstein, and veteran AACM drummer Alvin Fielder. I’m excited for what 2016 has yet to offer!

2015 was a fun year for me. It was a good amount of teaching, as well as performing. In May I was the guest artist for the Spring Jazz Festival at Klein Collins High School, where I did some masterclasses and a performance with the band. Over the summer, I played at a music festival in Austin called NMASS (New Music Art and Sound Summit) with Damon Smith, Sandy Ewen, and Steve Parker. I also played duo with Sandy Ewen at the Blanton Museum of Art in Austin that was a lot of fun. In August, I went down to Pearland High School and did some summer clinics/masterclasses with the saxophones in the band. In September I expanded my teaching to 30 students, and started as the saxophone teacher at Cypress Woods High School. I worked heavily with my students on music for the Region/Allstate band competitions, as well as UIL Solo and Ensemble. Overall, it was a diverse collection of musical activities that made me stronger as both a teacher and musician.