I was given my first guitar for my 14th birthday - a lovely Ibanez "Gio" starter pack complete with a black guitar, practice amp, and instructional video that showed me how to play "the essential" rock'n'roll riffs. After mastering the video within two days I pestered my parents for real guitar lessons. My wish was granted, and a week later sat down with my first instructor eager to learn Jimi Hendrix's classic "Purple Haze". After that moment I was hooked for life and so began my never-ending quest to learn more about my instrument and music in general.

My first love affair with music was with the hard rock bands of the 90's, ranging from Metallica and Nirvana to Rage Against the Machine and Korn. Quickly my musical tastes matured and I became enamored with the classic rock of the 60's and 70's, early blues, and progressive hard rock, until I found myself preparing for my high school's jazz band audition in my sophmore year. After three years in the school jazz band I set my sights on the prestigious music program at the University of North Texas where I spent the past five years studying jazz performance and theory, classical guitar performance, and music theory and composition. My goal in teaching is to provide each student with a lesson plan that is tailored for their individual needs and goals. Maintaining a fun atmosphere while still paying close attention to detail is essential to finding the true joys of playing music.