Photo courtesy of Ailisa Newhall of Pinehurst Photography!
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Hello! Thank you for visiting my website. Here I hope to share some of the exciting things that I am privileged to explore in my life!
Though I am a musician by training, trade, and inclination, I do love to explore and study other aspects of the world. I aspire to approach my activities with the careful rigor and curiosity of a scientist, the creative liveliness and openness of an artist, and the practical know-how and tenacity of a farmer. In reading, and re-reading, and seeking out and talking to others, I regularly experience abundant "sparks" of creative vitality that animate my life. This is no abstract concept, but the day-to-day experience of my life as a musician: things like fascinating conversations about teaching with colleagues, discovery of an inspiring, new-to-me musical piece, or the joy and satisfaction of a shared rhythmic groove or well-tuned chord with any of my musical groups. I get to see the shining eyes of inspired students, glimpse growing confidence in quiet and shy singers and players, and recognize connections between people grown stronger through their shared experience of music. I am blessed to witness this evidence of the power of the arts in our lives. Now, in the fall of 2019, the bulk of the material currently on the website dates from my experiences undergoing a process in 2014-2017 I called a "Facial Reconstruction Project", now essentially completed. It involved a large team of medical and other professionals, orthodontics, surgery, and a lot of study and exploration. This was the major impetus for the creation of this website and my associated blog. Though I had some ambivalence about sharing my personal experiences in an age of "oversharing", I do believe that my particular story may prove helpful for others, and have been told so by readers of my blog. I've been described as a "miracle of modern medicine": I was born with a cleft palate, and through successful surgery and good care from a lot of people, including my parents and later my wife, went on to become a singer and teacher of singing. If my experiences can inspire or hearten one person, I will consider my efforts well worth it. (Hey, that's already happened. I'm good!) Please continue to my blog page to read about this journey. Meanwhile, I'm updating the website for the first time in years, and am excited to change directions and explore new topics here. More to come...! |