Educator
As an avid educator, I believe in giving back and informing other about all that I have been fortunate enough to learn. I am currently a Teaching Assistant at The University of Pittsburgh.
In addition to teaching in an academic setting. I have been teaching privately since 2000. Private lessons include instruction in a variety of topics and instruments such as hand percussion, drum set, piano, guitar, electronic music, music theory and composition. I am willing to teach anyone what I have learned as well as helping students learn their own musical interests.
Email here if you are interested in taking lessons
Partial CV listed below:
Education
University of Pittsburgh
2016–present PhD in progress (ABD)
2013-2015 M.A. Composition and Theory
M.A. Thesis: Laniakea for Pipa, Horn in F, Double Bass, Piano, and Laptop: Some Considerations and Analysis
Composition Instructors: Eric Moe, Amy Williams, Mathew Rosenblum
North Central College
B.A. Music, 2012
Instructors: Jonathon Kirk, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, David Grant
Further Studies/Masterclasses With
Christian Wolfe, George Lewis, Martin Bresnik, Joel Ryan, Eve Beglarian, Roger Dannenberg, Ken Ueno, Nils Vigeland, Annie Gosfield, Sam Pluta, Joo Won Park, Per Bloland, Kate Soper, Elainie Lillios, Katharina Rosenberger, Christopher Biggs, Jason Eckardt, Nicholas Vines, Huang Ruo, Robert Morris, Juraj Kojs, Marcos Balter, Vinko Globokar, Dan Trueman, Sean Shepherd, Laura Kaminsky, Martin Boykan, James Mobberley
Commissions and Selected Performances:
Fall, 2018 For cello and electronics. Commissioned by Steve Marrotto. Boston, MA.
June, 2018 For Ensemble and Electronics. Commissioned by Stephen Drury and The Callithumpian Consort.
11-30-2017, Fleeting of The Spirits. Commissioned by Aaron Meyers-Brooks. Brillo Box, Pittsburgh, PA.
November 2017 Improvisation, Performed by Chuck Furlong and Brian Riordan. NYC, New York.
07-11-2017 While the Earth Is Still Turning, for piano and electronics. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Hotel Oasi Neumann, Cortona Sessions, Cortona, IT. Also performed: 06-27-2017 Splendor, Amsterdam, NL. SPLICE Festival 2018, Kalamazoo, MI.
06-12-2017 Turtles All The Way Up. Performed by John Pickford Richards, Brian Riordan and NMOP ensemble. Leicester, VT.
04-04-2017 The First Wave, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-17-2017 They Were Playing Spy Music At The Airport. Commissioned by Keith Kirchoff. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-10-2017 куда. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Baton Rouge, LA.
01-13-2017 Wingdings, for ensemble. Commissioned by Wolftrap. Pittsburgh, PA.
12-01-2016 Void, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Kamraton. Pittsburgh, PA.
07-02-2016 Aphantasia, for flute and electronics. Performed by Anne Daley. Kalamazoo, MI.
06-24-2016 K. for bass clarinet, violin, viola, and piano. Performed by SICPP Ensemble.
Boston, MA.
06-18-2016 Tetrachromacy, for flute, tenor sax, violin, and cello. Performed by NMOP
Ensemble with Kevin MacFarland. Salisbury, VT.
04-10-2016 Better Living Through Electricity, for bass clarinet and electronics. Commissioned
by Chuck Furlong. Pittsburgh, PA.
04-02-2016 The Moon Is Drifting Away From The Earth, Don’t Think About It, for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. Performed by Ensemble Linea. Pittsburgh, PA.
01-21-2016 Atonia, for brass quartet. Performed by OvreArts. Pittsburgh, PA.
06-17-2015 Slow Danger, for flute, tenor sax, and viola. Performed by Wet Ink Ensemble.
Dublin, NH.
Residencies and Fellowships:
August 2017 – August 2018 Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship. Pittsburgh, PA.
June 2018 SICPP (Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice) Commission, Presenter.
June 2015 - 2018 New Music On The Point. Lake Dunmore, VT.
Technical Director/Composition Participant
April 2018 SEAMUS (Declension)
January 2018 SPLICE Festival(The Summer Institute for Performance, Listening, Interpretation, and
Creation of Electroacoustic Music). Kalamazoo, MI.
Fall 2017 STEIM Artist/research residency. Amsterdam, NL.
July, 2017 Cortona Sessions, Cortona, Italy. (Declension)
June, 2017 VIPA, Valencia, Spain. (Declension)
Spring, 2017 Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy Artist in Residence Program
March, 2017 NSEME (National Student Electronic Music Event) Louisiana State University.
Composition Fellow/Performer.
June, 2016 SICPP, Boston, MA.
Composition Fellow.
July, 2016 SPLICE. Kalamazoo, MI.
Technology and Stage Assistant/Composition Participant.
June 2015, 2016 Walden Creative Musicians Retreat. Dublin, NH.
Composition Fellow
(Declension for 2016)
Presentations/Invited Talks:
Spring. 2018 Storage Medium as Instrument in Real-Time Performance, North Central
College, Naperville, IL.
04-11-2018 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
June, 2018 Max/MSP tutorial and workshop, New Music On The Point, Leicester, VT.
04-12-2017 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
11-18-2016 Aspects of Sound Manipulation in Electro-Acoustic Music, College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
04-13-2016 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
03-16-2015 John Zorn: Currator and Advocate for A Rootless Avant Garde, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
05-13-2012 The 64 Button Grid: Expressive Strategies for Gestural Control in Real-
Time Electronic Music, North Central College, Naperville, IL.
Work/Teaching Experience:
2017-Present "How Things Are Made": Co-director, performer, technical director, commissioner of new music ensemble.
2016-present “C:ompiler”: Co-director of new music concert series
2017 Pitt Music Graduate Student Conference: Jury Member
2012-present University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
2015-2017 Teaching Fellow
Music Theory I, II, III, and IV
Electronic Music Studio Assistant
Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
2014-2015 Graduate Student Assistant
2015 “Beyond Microtonal Festival” Pittsburgh, PA: Technical Assistant
2013 – 2014 Teaching Assistant
Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
Electronic Music Studio Assistant
2000-present Private Music Studio: Percussion, Piano, Guitar, Music Theory, Electronic Music,
Production
Honors and Awards:
2017 Nat 28’s Call for Scores
2017 Andrew Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2016 Nat 28’s Call for Scores
2016 Dead Elf Music Award
2015, 2016 Dietrich A&S Summer Fellowship 2016
2015-present Dietrich A&S Teaching Fellowship
2014-2015 Dietrich A&S Grad Student Assistant
2014-2015 Paul J. Baum Scholarship (Pittsburgh Foundation)
2013-2014 Dietrich A&S Teaching Assistant
2011-2012 Clarence Juhnke Scholarship
2010-2012 NCC Jazz Studies Scholarship
2010-2011 NCC Band Scholarship
2009 NCC Transfer Academic Scholarship
Featured in North Central Now Magazine as an example of student learning in the twenty first century
Studied Afro-Cuban percussion at La Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana, Cuba. Summer 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
As an avid educator, I believe in giving back and informing other about all that I have been fortunate enough to learn. I am currently a Teaching Assistant at The University of Pittsburgh.
In addition to teaching in an academic setting. I have been teaching privately since 2000. Private lessons include instruction in a variety of topics and instruments such as hand percussion, drum set, piano, guitar, electronic music, music theory and composition. I am willing to teach anyone what I have learned as well as helping students learn their own musical interests.
Email here if you are interested in taking lessons
Partial CV listed below:
Education
University of Pittsburgh
2016–present PhD in progress (ABD)
2013-2015 M.A. Composition and Theory
M.A. Thesis: Laniakea for Pipa, Horn in F, Double Bass, Piano, and Laptop: Some Considerations and Analysis
Composition Instructors: Eric Moe, Amy Williams, Mathew Rosenblum
North Central College
B.A. Music, 2012
Instructors: Jonathon Kirk, Dmitri Yanov-Yanovsky, David Grant
Further Studies/Masterclasses With
Christian Wolfe, George Lewis, Martin Bresnik, Joel Ryan, Eve Beglarian, Roger Dannenberg, Ken Ueno, Nils Vigeland, Annie Gosfield, Sam Pluta, Joo Won Park, Per Bloland, Kate Soper, Elainie Lillios, Katharina Rosenberger, Christopher Biggs, Jason Eckardt, Nicholas Vines, Huang Ruo, Robert Morris, Juraj Kojs, Marcos Balter, Vinko Globokar, Dan Trueman, Sean Shepherd, Laura Kaminsky, Martin Boykan, James Mobberley
Commissions and Selected Performances:
Fall, 2018 For cello and electronics. Commissioned by Steve Marrotto. Boston, MA.
June, 2018 For Ensemble and Electronics. Commissioned by Stephen Drury and The Callithumpian Consort.
11-30-2017, Fleeting of The Spirits. Commissioned by Aaron Meyers-Brooks. Brillo Box, Pittsburgh, PA.
November 2017 Improvisation, Performed by Chuck Furlong and Brian Riordan. NYC, New York.
07-11-2017 While the Earth Is Still Turning, for piano and electronics. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Hotel Oasi Neumann, Cortona Sessions, Cortona, IT. Also performed: 06-27-2017 Splendor, Amsterdam, NL. SPLICE Festival 2018, Kalamazoo, MI.
06-12-2017 Turtles All The Way Up. Performed by John Pickford Richards, Brian Riordan and NMOP ensemble. Leicester, VT.
04-04-2017 The First Wave, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-17-2017 They Were Playing Spy Music At The Airport. Commissioned by Keith Kirchoff. Pittsburgh, PA.
03-10-2017 куда. Commissioned by Sonya Belaya. Baton Rouge, LA.
01-13-2017 Wingdings, for ensemble. Commissioned by Wolftrap. Pittsburgh, PA.
12-01-2016 Void, for ensemble and electronics. Commissioned by Kamraton. Pittsburgh, PA.
07-02-2016 Aphantasia, for flute and electronics. Performed by Anne Daley. Kalamazoo, MI.
06-24-2016 K. for bass clarinet, violin, viola, and piano. Performed by SICPP Ensemble.
Boston, MA.
06-18-2016 Tetrachromacy, for flute, tenor sax, violin, and cello. Performed by NMOP
Ensemble with Kevin MacFarland. Salisbury, VT.
04-10-2016 Better Living Through Electricity, for bass clarinet and electronics. Commissioned
by Chuck Furlong. Pittsburgh, PA.
04-02-2016 The Moon Is Drifting Away From The Earth, Don’t Think About It, for flute, clarinet, violin, viola, and cello. Performed by Ensemble Linea. Pittsburgh, PA.
01-21-2016 Atonia, for brass quartet. Performed by OvreArts. Pittsburgh, PA.
06-17-2015 Slow Danger, for flute, tenor sax, and viola. Performed by Wet Ink Ensemble.
Dublin, NH.
Residencies and Fellowships:
August 2017 – August 2018 Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowship. Pittsburgh, PA.
June 2018 SICPP (Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice) Commission, Presenter.
June 2015 - 2018 New Music On The Point. Lake Dunmore, VT.
Technical Director/Composition Participant
April 2018 SEAMUS (Declension)
January 2018 SPLICE Festival(The Summer Institute for Performance, Listening, Interpretation, and
Creation of Electroacoustic Music). Kalamazoo, MI.
Fall 2017 STEIM Artist/research residency. Amsterdam, NL.
July, 2017 Cortona Sessions, Cortona, Italy. (Declension)
June, 2017 VIPA, Valencia, Spain. (Declension)
Spring, 2017 Pitt Department of Physics and Astronomy Artist in Residence Program
March, 2017 NSEME (National Student Electronic Music Event) Louisiana State University.
Composition Fellow/Performer.
June, 2016 SICPP, Boston, MA.
Composition Fellow.
July, 2016 SPLICE. Kalamazoo, MI.
Technology and Stage Assistant/Composition Participant.
June 2015, 2016 Walden Creative Musicians Retreat. Dublin, NH.
Composition Fellow
(Declension for 2016)
Presentations/Invited Talks:
Spring. 2018 Storage Medium as Instrument in Real-Time Performance, North Central
College, Naperville, IL.
04-11-2018 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
June, 2018 Max/MSP tutorial and workshop, New Music On The Point, Leicester, VT.
04-12-2017 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
11-18-2016 Aspects of Sound Manipulation in Electro-Acoustic Music, College of Dupage, Glen Ellyn, IL.
04-13-2016 Introduction to Max/MSP, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
03-16-2015 John Zorn: Currator and Advocate for A Rootless Avant Garde, University of
Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
05-13-2012 The 64 Button Grid: Expressive Strategies for Gestural Control in Real-
Time Electronic Music, North Central College, Naperville, IL.
Work/Teaching Experience:
2017-Present "How Things Are Made": Co-director, performer, technical director, commissioner of new music ensemble.
2016-present “C:ompiler”: Co-director of new music concert series
2017 Pitt Music Graduate Student Conference: Jury Member
2012-present University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA.
2015-2017 Teaching Fellow
Music Theory I, II, III, and IV
Electronic Music Studio Assistant
Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
2014-2015 Graduate Student Assistant
2015 “Beyond Microtonal Festival” Pittsburgh, PA: Technical Assistant
2013 – 2014 Teaching Assistant
Basic Musicianship/Class Piano
Electronic Music Studio Assistant
2000-present Private Music Studio: Percussion, Piano, Guitar, Music Theory, Electronic Music,
Production
Honors and Awards:
2017 Nat 28’s Call for Scores
2017 Andrew Mellon Pre-Doctoral Fellowship
2016 Nat 28’s Call for Scores
2016 Dead Elf Music Award
2015, 2016 Dietrich A&S Summer Fellowship 2016
2015-present Dietrich A&S Teaching Fellowship
2014-2015 Dietrich A&S Grad Student Assistant
2014-2015 Paul J. Baum Scholarship (Pittsburgh Foundation)
2013-2014 Dietrich A&S Teaching Assistant
2011-2012 Clarence Juhnke Scholarship
2010-2012 NCC Jazz Studies Scholarship
2010-2011 NCC Band Scholarship
2009 NCC Transfer Academic Scholarship
Featured in North Central Now Magazine as an example of student learning in the twenty first century
Studied Afro-Cuban percussion at La Escuela Nacional de Artes in Havana, Cuba. Summer 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
- Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, José Eladio, Emilio Vega, Alejandro Carvajal Guerra, Don Skoog
- Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, Michael Spiro, Laurentino Galan, Don Skoog
- Instructors: Roberto Vizcaino, Michael Spiro, Jesus Diaz, Don Skoog
- Instructor: Najib Bahri
- Instructor: Clar Monaco