B.M., Berklee College of Music

Leader of Heart & Fire Latin jazz octet (with whom he recorded Chase the Fire) and Berklee faculty group Moksha. Touring member for the Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson, and Lionel Hampton bands. Performances with Arturo Sandoval, Gary Burton, Mike Gibbs, Mel Torme, Frank Sinatra, Natalie Cole, Ella Fitzgerald, and Tony Bennett. Solo trumpet performances of the National Anthem for the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. U.S. Navy musician
RCA recordings with Buddy Rich and Maynard Ferguson, Numerous international television and concert performances, Author of Beyond Functional Harmony, published by Advance Music.

"I have had a long association with Berklee College of Music. I
graduated from there in 1976 with a BA in Music Education. I have
taught there since then and am currently an Associate Professor in
the Harmony Department. I teach Harmony 1,2,3.4 and an elective
composition course which I developed called "The Music of The
Yellowjackets". I also lead the Berklee Tower of Power Ensemble which
I formed in 2000. In the past I conducted the Berklee Buddy Rich Big
Band. For the past 15 years I have taught in the 5-week Summer
Program where I teach the 5-week big band, the Tower of Power
Ensemble and advanced theory classes."

"When I walk into a classroom, I’m not just prepared to teach—I’m prepared to learn as well. Keeping an open mind, especially around young people, is a critical aspect of my teaching style. Berklee is such a vibrant and vital environment, there’s always the possibility of learning something new every day. Teaching and studying harmony at Berklee is a unique experience. I like to combine the historical aspect of the subject with what’s going on in today’s world. A balanced perspective of both gives a student the tools to help bring their music to a higher creative level. Working with so many great players and writers over the years has given me the ability to relate what I’m teaching to real-life music. I emphasize to students that everything we teach in the classroom actually exists in the real world of music—from Bach to Duke Ellington to the Beatles."