As a young child I fell in love with music. When I was old enough to join the school band I took up playing trumpet. I played all the way through elementary, junior high and senior high. Entering college, I majored in music and was blessed to have some of the very best professors anyone could ever want. After graduation I accepted a job in Yuma with the plan of staying in Yuma for a year or two and then moving on to bigger and better things, that was in 1985.

Since then, I became fond of Yuma where I fell in love with my wife, Chris, and started a family. My experiences teaching band in elementary, middle school and college were so rewarding. I feel like my greatest accomplishment as a teacher is seeing former students grow up to be responsible and productive adults and they often tell me it is because of the time they spent in band and the life lessons they learned in my class.

Throughout my life here I have had the opportunity to perform with many wonderful ensembles. A short list includes AWC Community Band, Yuma Civic Orchestra and the Tommy Munoz Band. However, my pride and joy has been leading the Yuma Big Band for about 20 years.

I retired from teaching in 2017 but still am active in the music education community. I continue to consult with music educators and frequently visit classes and clinic with their students. Not being one to fade away into retirement, I currently work as a real estate agent and have accepted a directorship of the newly formed non-profit Yuma County Arts Alliance which celebrates, supports and advocates for all disciplines of art and local business.