I was born in Atlanta Georgia in 1993, just before the turn of the century. As part of the millenial generation, I attribute the unique circumstances of my formative years to who I am today; things like growing up without a cellphone, and having limited internet access. My younger days were spent playing basketball in the street, or biking around the neighborhood with friends. I would spend hours sitting at the piano with my one Billy Joel songbook, both because I loved it and because there was nothing else to do in Peachtree City, the suburb to end all suburbs.

In fifth grade I joined band and chorus. Maybe I felt pulled to immerse myself in music, or maybe I just had trouble making decisions. The first day of band class they had us chose three instruments we were interested in learning. I picked the trumpet, the drums, and the saxophone. Upon picking up the trumpet, I was told I’d have to purse my lips and make a funny buzzing sound, which seemed absolutely ridiculous to me, so I decided against it. The percussion test was a simple call-and-response clapping excercise. I aced it, but the whole time I was looking over at the saxophone: this wild Doctor Seus-looking horn with a million keys that twisted around in curious ways. I don’t know what it was that drew me to it, but I knew that the saxophone would be my choice of instrument.

 

Fast forward to middle school. Me and my friends were playing together in classic rock cover bands. We thought we were so “woke” for rising above the mediocrity of 2000s soft-rock radio. We had discovered these new bands like The Beatles and Led Zeppelin that nobody else had ever heard of. I especially loved the guitar solos, and the rock-God persona of guys like Jimi Hendrix and Eddie Van Halen. When I first joined jazz band I remember wanting to emulate these idols. I wanted to be a lead guitarist, but all I had was a saxophone.

Jazz band in middle and high school was not jazz band. We were playing arrangements of Chicago tunes, “swing” christmas charts, and maybe, maybe the occasoinal “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock. Now, I have nothing against these kinds of music, but names like Count Basie and Duke Ellington were comepletely foreign to me. The charts we were playing were far and away from what I would consider quintessential jazz literature. By sophmore year I had somehow developed enough ability on the horn to get into a highly selective summer jazz band camp without knowing who Charlie Parker was, but that all turned around with the help of professor David Spingfield, the band director at the Governer’s Honors Program and resident trombone faculty at Valdosta State University.

I attended Florida State University in 2011 and studied privately under professor Bill Kennedy. Picture J.K. Simmons, the tough-but-fair drum instructor in the film Whiplash, only older and balder. He taught me everything I know now about jazz language, instrumental technique, and the importance of the deep lineage of saxohone players that have come before me. Another influential mentor for me at FSU was Leon Anderson. At a time where I was still figuring out music, he took me under his wing and brought me into a quintet with much older, more experienced students and himself on drums. Being the only horn player in the group, Leon really held my feet to the fire. I had to personalize my melodies, dictate how we’d end the tune, and improvise a solo that was truly musical and interactive. 

 

Both Leon Anderson and Bill Kennedy always encouraged me to compose and arrange original music and jazz standards. This led me to form The Forward Quartet with pianist Will Fulkerson, a musician with whom I felt a strong musical connection. Alongside Jake Pepple on drums, and Ilya Dacosta on bass, the four of us explored writing jazz quartet music that was innovatively original, stylistically diverse, and most of all exciting, fun, and groove-centric. In 2014 we debuted a live-recorded album of original music entitled “Stepping Out”. This band and that record was some of the most fun I’ve ever had playing the saxphone. In this environment I felt for the time that I could be truly free to express myself. We played around Florida for over two years before splitting up to pursue various post-college ambitions. I had my sights set on moving to New York City, so I auditioned for and was accepted into the Manhattan School of Music to pursue a graduate degree in music performance.

Since moving to New York, I’ve been fortunate enough to play with some of the world’s greatest musicians, and through the Manhattan School of Music I’ve had the opportunity to study with truly world class mentors who are also incredible musicains in their own right. I’ve studied with Donny McCaslin, Dayna Stephens, Vincent Herring, and Dave Liebman, who are all monster saxophonists and brilliantly inspirational people. I’ve performed with Dave Liebman at Lincoln Center, where he was the featured guest soloist for the MSM Jazz Orchestra’s performance of “Miles Ahead”, an incredibly beautiful suite of music written and arranged primarily by both Miles Davis and Gil Evans. I’ve played with the MSM Monk’estra under the direction of Gammy-nominated artist John Beasley and McCarthur Genius Grant-winning violinist Regina Carter. I’ve studied the lush, wonderful music of Charles Mingus under the direction of Frank Lacey. I’ve performed in an original off-broadway musical entitled “Scorched”, which was part of a festival of original plays at the American Theatre of Actors.

It has been a truly inspiring two years of living, performing, and growing in New York City. I graduate from the Manhattan School of Music soon and plan to remain here in the city where I can continue to make great music.