What's your main instrument?

Piano is my main instrument. One of the first moments I knew I wanted to play piano was listening to the songs Fur Elise, Maple Leaf Rag, and Clair De Lune on a digital piano my mother had bought me at 3 years old.

What's your musical origin story?

I was stubborn, and really wanted to play anything that I heard. This kept me practicing and helped me develop a discipline around my instrument. Later on around 16 years old I met one of the most influential mentors of my life, and he gave my instrument so much life I couldn't help but want to continue to work on my technique and developed a deeper love for the music.

Can you share a good gig story?

When I was in college I had no connections to the gigging world. Our teacher at the time had us contact one of the gigging musicians who had graduated from our college, and my band got an opportunity to open for them at a Jam Session. Gigging has been a great overall experience, but one thing that makes it special is the connections to fellow musicians you can make along the way. I'm very thankful that without knowing us - a simple connection lead us to so many more gigs afterwards, and I couldn't thank them enough for getting us out there and started.

Tell us about your practice routine and share some practice tips.

Use your inspiration as an excuse to be creative. Most of the time, I found myself gravitating towards playing more often when I was inspired after listening to music. My tip is get into the rhythm of playing often, and if you're getting more serious try developing a discipline that helps you focus consistently. Good practice, not just practice, will help shorten the time you need to perfect / learn something new. Lastly, be patient with yourself - it's all a process.

What drew you to the Music House team?

Music House Offers a unique opportunity for young players to join together in workshops. This alone made it stand out as a unique place that piqued my interest. When I took private lessons as a kid I never had that opportunity, and often found myself not sharing the music I was making with others. Music House really puts emphasis on playing together with other musicians, and that alone is something special.