Half a semester done at Indiana University - performed and was a soloist in two sold-out preview concerts with the Singing Hoosiers, was part of the first performance of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Steve Zegree at Cafe Django, was cast in the role of Pistola for Verdi's Falstaff in April, and am making significant progress in classical voice.
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Wisconsin Teaching Standards and Collaborative Leadership Dispositions - Cooperating Teacher Evaluations
WECAN Teacher Application - 12 Questions
Request WECAN Teacher Standard Application Forms
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Welcome to my website!
This is a new website I've been working on to present some of the material I've worked on in college, my teaching portfolio, my future dreams and aspirations, and music in general! I'm a recent graduate of UW-Eau Claire with a degree in Music Education (Choral) and a dual emphasis in Voice and Piano. While at Eau Claire I studied voice under Dr. Mark Mowry and piano under Dr. Nicholas Phillips. Primary work in the choral and education field involved performing under the baton of Dr. Gary R. Schwartzhoff with Concert Choir, Singing Statesmen, and Chamber Choir, as well as with Dr. Alan Rieck in music education courses and as a supervisor for my student teaching placement.
While at the University I had to opportunity to solo with the Symphonic Choir (Handel's Messiah), through Voice Area Recitals, numerous times with the Singing Statesmen including at the Viennese Ball, and in performing the operatic role of Papageno in the production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Being exposed to a wide variety of music through these ensembles and productions, as well as my work with several a cappella (contemporary pop) groups on campus helped me gain an appreciation for the grounded technique and knowledge needed to perform and teach these styles in the future. I also was an ensemble member in two productions through the Eau Claire Children's Theatre, Beauty and the Beast and Rent.
Arranging music (in particular for a cappella groups) has played a major role in my development as a musician and in particular my theory and aural training. I started by transcribing and rearranging material for voice and string quartet my senior year in high school, but soon transitioned to Motown covers with my friends The Offbeats, and then a broader rock/pop focus with Impromptu, a mixed auditioned sextet out of Concert Choir, who I sang with for 2 and a half years. My final foray into this field came with Soundscape Vocal Jazz, a group I co-directed and was a founding member of on campus. I gained a great new appreciation for the masters of the jazz idiom and the arrangers that helped define the sound of groups like Singers Unlimited, The Manhattan Transfer, The New York Voices, Take 6, and M-Pact. I also gained a better understanding of jazz harmony and what types of problems may arise in the rehearsal of a group of my peers with a wide degree of talents but differing philosophies on how an ensemble should choose a direction which stayed true to the focus on jazz - but also would gain a group popular support in an effort to build a successful student organization. The music and our rehearsals helped create a tremendously uplifting experience as it took close harmony to another level, and I got to sing with some wonderful people, as well as collaborate with fantastic instrumentalists, including the Jazz I and II ensembles under Robert Baca. This semester I sang with Voces at the Viennese Ball, and look forward to multi-track recording with some of my friends this summer.
While at the University I had to opportunity to solo with the Symphonic Choir (Handel's Messiah), through Voice Area Recitals, numerous times with the Singing Statesmen including at the Viennese Ball, and in performing the operatic role of Papageno in the production of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Being exposed to a wide variety of music through these ensembles and productions, as well as my work with several a cappella (contemporary pop) groups on campus helped me gain an appreciation for the grounded technique and knowledge needed to perform and teach these styles in the future. I also was an ensemble member in two productions through the Eau Claire Children's Theatre, Beauty and the Beast and Rent.
Arranging music (in particular for a cappella groups) has played a major role in my development as a musician and in particular my theory and aural training. I started by transcribing and rearranging material for voice and string quartet my senior year in high school, but soon transitioned to Motown covers with my friends The Offbeats, and then a broader rock/pop focus with Impromptu, a mixed auditioned sextet out of Concert Choir, who I sang with for 2 and a half years. My final foray into this field came with Soundscape Vocal Jazz, a group I co-directed and was a founding member of on campus. I gained a great new appreciation for the masters of the jazz idiom and the arrangers that helped define the sound of groups like Singers Unlimited, The Manhattan Transfer, The New York Voices, Take 6, and M-Pact. I also gained a better understanding of jazz harmony and what types of problems may arise in the rehearsal of a group of my peers with a wide degree of talents but differing philosophies on how an ensemble should choose a direction which stayed true to the focus on jazz - but also would gain a group popular support in an effort to build a successful student organization. The music and our rehearsals helped create a tremendously uplifting experience as it took close harmony to another level, and I got to sing with some wonderful people, as well as collaborate with fantastic instrumentalists, including the Jazz I and II ensembles under Robert Baca. This semester I sang with Voces at the Viennese Ball, and look forward to multi-track recording with some of my friends this summer.
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I was placed in Menomonie High School in the Fall of 2011, student teaching under Audric Buhr. As it turned out, he knew my high school director from college! I had a great time working with him and observing and learning how he taught his class, ever infused with humor and quick wit to help the kids conquer ideas like a renaissance motet and classical music. I also learned a lot about developing solfege and rhythmic reading assessments for working on musical literacy.
The students were also great to work with; in particular I had a blast working on the MHS production of Godspell, in which I served as the music director and keyboard 2 in the pit. It was a very interesting and worthwhile experience - as a small cast I watched students grow tremendously as individuals, actors, and musicians (which then transferred to having new potential leaders in the classroom), and I also learned a lot about the direction of a play (done by Mr. Buhr) where the cast balanced presentation of faith-based concepts from the libretto with proper expression in an educational setting. Updated 11/3/2012 |
