Professional Accomplishments

• Director of Music at Good Shepherd United Methodist Church, Thornton, Colorado, 2009-present
  • Ambitiously raise standard of Chancel Choir musicianship
    • Strengthen choir’s part independence by singing more polyphonic and fugal music
    • Insist on a great range of expressiveness in tempo and dynamics
    • Continuously improve choir’s breath support, intonation, diction, and tone quality through exercises in rehearsal
  • Stress primary importance of connecting the music to the text
    • Clear and crisp diction
    • Word emphasis, or syllabic emphasis
    • Correlation of breathing with phrasing
  • Introduced standard choral literature into choirs repertory (e.g. Mendelssohn’s “He Watching Over Israel,” Pietro Yon’s “Gesu Bambino,” Mozart’s “To God Be Joyful”)
  • Taught Latin diction to choir through several pieces (e.g. Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” Gallus’ “Haec Est Dies,” Lauridsen’s “O Nata Lux”)
  • Demand higher level of musicianship from the “Ascent” praise team
    • Create expectation that singers learn four part harmony from sheet music for exciting and consistent performance
    • Create expectation that singers and instruments will actively follow conducting for tight and excellent playing in worship
  • Improve sense of ensemble in “Second Reign” praise band
    • Restructure rehearsals to be more efficient and demanding
    • Constantly encourage players to try new techniques outside of their comfort zone
    • Create special music programs to give group goals and achievements (e.g. “U2charist” program for Good Friday Service, acoustic set of hymns for Easter Sunrise service)
  • Actively seek outreach and collaboration opportunities
    • Chancel Choir performance at “Thorntonfest,” a public festival held annually by the City of Thornton in December
    • Collaboration with Westminster United Methodist Church’s Chancel Choir to sing repertory for double chorus at Maundy Thursday Service
    • Collaboration with University Park United Methodist Church’s praise band to create “First Snow” ensemble for the Christmas Cantata, “An Angel Came Down”
  • Organize creative and exciting worship music with emphasis on musical excellence
    • Chancel Choir chanting with aleatoric hand bell accompaniment
    • Arrange music for symphonic chamber ensemble to accompany choir
    • Reinstate organ playing for traditional hymns
  • Develop excellent working relationship with the Senior Pastor
    • Align goals of the music ministry with the overall vision of the church
    • Collaborate with Senior Pastor to create special and outreach events (e.g. Maundy Thursday Service with combined congregations, “An Angel Came Down” Cantata)
  • Find inventive and unconventional ways to maximize a small budget
    • Find or arrange music for additional lay musicians in the congregation
    • Draw upon inexpensive or free music publications (e.g. Choral Public Domain Library, CD Sheet Music, free resources at worshiptogether.com)
• Composer in Residence at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Denver, Colorado, 2007-2009
  • Premiered and conducted two major works for choir and orchestra
    • Commissioned by Montview Church and premiered at Montview’s Spring Concert, 2008 and 2009, respectively
  • Directed music for “Pulpit Players” children’s liturgical theater troupe
    • Wrote and directed high energy, comedic songs for several musicals including “The Diary of Adam and Eve,” “Smackdown in the Valley of Elah: David vs. Goliath,” and “Escape from Captivity”
  • Composed the hymn “Learn from All the Songs of Earth,” commissioned by the Westminster Choir in celebration John Kuzma’s twenty-fifth anniversary as Minister of Music
• Music Intern at Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, Denver, Colorado, 2005-2007
  • Develop great rapport and working relationship with Westminster Choir
    • Conduct several pieces of standard choral literature including works by Randall Thompson, Felix Mendelssohn, Craig Courtney, and Healey Willan
    • Direct sectional rehearsals for Westminster Choir’s major performance works, such as Paul Hindemith’s Requiem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloomed” and Ralph Vaughn Williams’ “Hodie”
  • Discovered my own personality as a conductor while directing occasional ensembles
    • Chose to lead pieces outside of Montview’s standard repertory list for occasional ensembles (e.g. “Easter Vigil Choir” and “Summer Choir”)
  • Write and conduct original anthems for the choir for inclusion into Montview’s standard repertory
  • Arrange and conduct several hymns for the Montview Brass Quintet in several styles of music
    • Classical arrangements for ordinary services, Jazz for special “Jazz Sunday” services, and Popular for contemporary music
  • Create interactive music performance for Sunday School class
    • Engage children to sing simple songs such as “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” with call and response, and easy-to-learn choreography
• Private and Classroom Piano, Voice, Guitar, and Composition Instructor, 2002-present
  • Maximize students’ interest by encouraging ownership of their skills and talents
    • Create systems of accountability and reward
    • Insist on experimenting with new styles and techniques to improve musicianship
    • Tailor curriculum to generate most interest and success of student
  • Balance learning between creativity, artistry, and technique
    • Method training with supplemental improvisation and creative activities

continue to Conducting Repertory History section