I am 18 years old and have been taking private classical guitar lessons since the age of 7 under the instruction of
Nels Leonard Jr., Ph.D. Recently I have begun also studying fingerstyle with Roger Hoard . I enjoy playing various genres of music, although I mainly study solo classical guitar.
Over the years of studying classical guitar, I have participated annually in competitions held by the West Virginia Music Educators Association and the National Federation of Music Clubs. I have earned superior ratings from various judges in solo classical guitar competitions held at West Liberty State College. In my early years of playing, I was invited to perform numerous times in the Ovations Youth Orchestra Music Show and Tell Concert series. In 2008, I received a superior rating for my performance at the West Virginia Music Educators Association Solo and Ensemble Festival and was invited to record in West Liberty State College Media Arts Center's studio. Based on my recording, I was invited to perform at an honors recital at Glessner Auditorium in Oglebay Resort and Conference Center and was selected to perform at "Arts Alive: The Best of West Virginia" at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia.
In past years, I have received 3 scholarships sponsored by Fender Musical Instruments Corporation , to Duquesne University's Guitar and Bass Workshop at Mary Pappert School of Music. I received a scholarship for classical guitar in 2000, a scholarship for fingerstyle guitar in 2006, and a scholarship for classical guitar in 2007. At these workshops, I have had the privilege of attending seminars and participating in master classes with various guitarists such as Ricardo Cobo, Michael Chapdelaine, Jerry Kosak, Laurence Juber, Joe Negri, Henry Johnson, Wolf Marshall, Dave Weiner, Tom Kikta, and Ken Karsh.
In 2007, I attended the International Guitar Festival at the Hartt School of Music and participated in master classes with Ana Vidovic, Richard Provost, and Alan Goldspiel. In the spring of 2009, after being accepted into Cleveland Institute of Music, I had the privilege of taking a personal lesson with Jason Vieaux.
I presently play a 2006 Schafer Classical Guitar with a Canadian cedar top, handcrafted by Lane Schafer, Luthier. I met Lane in 2005 at the Guitar Foundation of America's International Convention held at Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
For a little over a year now, I have been teaching private guitar lessons at the local music store. I am a current member of both the Guitar Foundation of America and Baltimore Classical Guitar Society. The tracks available to listen to on my page were recorded at Jamie Peck Productions , displaying my development as a solo guitarist over the past few years.
I was recently awarded the Rachel Worby Scholarship which was announced and presented during Wheeling Symphony's performance on May 15th. In the fall of 2009 I will be enrolled in Peabody Conservatory of Music's 5 year double major program to receive a bachelor’s degree in both music performance - classical guitar (under the instruction of Julian Grey), and recording arts and sciences.
