Music has always been an important part of my life. At an early age I started to play trumpet, continuing my training on the instrument and playing into college. Years later, I started to play guitar, participating in personal instruction from master guitar players in Denver. I began recording music after years of instruction, with the primary focus being instrumental folk, blues, Irish, and old-style country music. I recorded several CDs of both original and traditional instrumental music.
In the last 10 years I have focused my efforts on providing music for the sick and the elderly. In 2000 I began playing guitar and harmonica and singing for seniors at elder care facilities and hospitals in Denver, Colorado. During this time I began seeing firsthand the joy that playing could bring to seniors, children, and others. In addition, playing in these setting gave me tremendous personal satisfaction.
These experiences led me to take classes in the Music for Healing and Transition Program to give me a better understanding of therapeutic music, and to provide some additional training to help me in my playing for the sick and the elderly.
I moved to Arlington, Virginia, in 2002, and continued the work I had started in Denver. I began volunteering at nursing homes, convalescent centers, and in hospitals. After playing at several institutions, my primary focus became playing on an oncology ward in an Arlington hospital, providing a soothing environment for patients and their families during their time at the hospital.
When I moved back to Denver in 2008 I picked up where I had left off. Now I provide music for patients and families in their homes and in facilities such as senior centers, long-term and transitional care facilities, hospitals, and convalescent centers. In addition to therapeutic benefits, I believe that my music can provide a peaceful setting for a number of events and facilities beyond those listed above. In the past, I have provided music for weddings, receptions, funerals, and other events, and I plan to continue to provide music for these events in the future.