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I started playing guitar when I was 11 years old. For years as a child I wanted a guitar because the guys I saw playing them looked so cool. I was self taught for a couple years - I bought a few books and gave it a half-hearted effort. I truly loved music but it wasn't until I began taking private lessons that I began to understand what it meant to play a musical instrument.

I began performing at a young age at jazz and blues jams, all-ages venues, and eventually in high school with original rock bands. The guitar and I were inseparable. After school I studied music theory and jazz at the Conservatory of Music in my hometown - Lafayette, LA.

In college I got my degree in Jazz Performance at the University of Louisiana. Certain professors made a significant impact on me creatively and I've carried a lot of their teachings and philosophies with me as a performer and teacher. It's important for me to teach a student to find their own voice within the guitar and how to learn independently. I enjoy pushing the limits of students and seeing them progress. The right combination of fun and discipline and getting to know what inspires a student is critical to me.

• Degree in Jazz Performance, University of Louisiana
• Jazz Ensemble Performance Scholarship
• Studied with Steve Mazakowski, Jeff George, Garth Alper, and Gerd Wuestemann
• 8 years private teaching
• Performed opening for acts including: Young The Giant, Wolf Gang, Bassnectar, and more
• Recorded with: Grammy award winning producer Ducky Carlisle and Mike Viola
• Tours professionally across North America with Animal Talk