As part of a musical family, I began singing at a very early age and continued to sing throughout my school years, but my life really changed when I was given a guitar at thirteen. Playing the guitar enabled me to accompany myselfl. I continued to sing in school choirs throughout high school and college, but devoted a significant amount of time to my instrument as well. in 1971, I performed as the male lead in a Jr. High School Musical. I performed in several musical and non-musical productions throughout high school. In my senior year I toured Italy with my high school chorus. we placed second in an international competition. I continued to perform with various vocal groups. rock bands, and in musical theatre for several years. I attended Mt Aloysious Jr. college in Cresson Pennsylvania. The guitar teacher, Ed McGuire was one of the finest teachers in Pennsylvania. While at Mt. Aloyisius, I studied Guitar with Mr McGuire, Voice with Sr. Eric Marie Setlock, and had the male lead in a production of Finian's Rainbow.
            Regrettably, After graduation, I spent several years touring throughout the midwest and up and down the East coast. In 1981, I enrolled in a guitar school called The Guitar Academy. The school was run by Ed McGuire and was envisioned as a school similar to what is now Musician's Institute in Hollywood California. Several months after graduating from The Guitar Academy, I was asked to be Mr McGuire's personal assistant and began teaching with him at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania.
            Mr McGuire passed away unexpectedly at the beginning of the second semester and I was hired as an associate professor to finish the year. It was at this time that I got the teaching bug in a big way but soon realized that I would have to continue my education if I intended to pursue a career in higher education.
            In 1985, I moved to Austin, Texas to explore the Austin music scene and escape a declining economy in Pennsylvania. I moved to San Marcos in 1986 to attend school at Southwest Texas State. The university's guitar teacher was William Gangel. I was actually the first student enrolled in the guitar program at Texas State. I soon became Mr. Gangel's assistant and worked for him for several years. I was working for and studying with local guitarist, Marion Williamson at the time. The opportunity to work with all of these great teachers left me with an appreciation for the role of the teacher in shaping a student's approach to music as well as their approach to other aspects of life. I have been very fortunate to have been associated with all of these great teachers.
          In 1994, I was approached by William Gangel and asked to teach guitar to a class of ten students at Southwest Texas State. This opportunity led to my current position as Senior Lecturer at Texas State. I currently teach five different guitar class to over 200 student a semester. I am honored to be here and I appreciate working in such a fine School of Music. In the twenty four years I have been here, both a student and a teacher, I have seen this school grow far beyond anything I ciould have imagined in 1986. Our Faculty is second to none and our student body is growing both in size and in abilities.
            I presently teach five classes at Texas State with a combined enrollment of over 200 students a semester. My students have signed recording contracts, released CDs, toured the country, and one former private student has won a Grammy award. I'm very proud of their accomplishments and look forward to even greater accomplishments from my current and future students. I continue to perform and have worked with notable Texas artists such as Randy Rogers, Terri Hendrix, and Stephanie Urbina Jones.