Appearances
Maine Chamber Music Seminar, Atlantic Music Festival, National Music Festival
What is your earliest memory of classical music?
My earliest memory of classical music was hearing it in the car. My mom would play it while I would drive around with her and I hated it. Then I remember hearing students from Tanglewood rehearsing chamber music in the classroom next to the one I was in for a separate summer camp I was going to, and being in-person and in-touch with the physical aspect of the sound was insanely exciting to me.
Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
My teacher at UMass, Salvatore Macchia, did a massive amount for me, both while I was his student for four years and in the time that has followed. Our lessons typically lasted a few hours, and he always took extra time to help me figure something out if needed, despite being extremely busy. His generosity with his time stood out and was what made it possible for me to catch up to my peers, despite being a late starter. He was a musician first before being a bass player, and he inspired me to approach music with the same orientation and curiosity.
My second teacher, Tim Cobb, generously took me on as a private student when I wasn’t in a position to pay for school, and what he showed me completely changed the way I play the bass. Lessons with him were incredibly inspiring (especially when he would demonstrate), and he was always kind to me. In the years after I worked with him, he’s been very helpful and supportive in my career.
What made you decide to become a musician? Was there a particular performance or person that influenced your decision?
I decides to be a musician because I don’t know how else to move forward. In the times I’ve experimented with not living deeply in music I’ve felt completely lost, confused, scared, and depressed. I think it’s the only path I feel I have to live a fulfilling life.
How would you like to see orchestra concerts evolve in the future?
I would like orchestra concerts become more intimate, common, and exist in a wider variety of spaces and contexts. To involve more emotional storytelling in the presentation of the music when appropriate.
What is the most memorable performance you ever had?
My most memorable performance was with the APEX Ensemble in New York. We performed with players from the MET Opera Orchestra and New York Philharmonic spread amongst us. The intensity of everyone’s listening was massively powerful. I felt moments of that performance were amongst—if not the most—life-affirming moments of my life.
What is your proudest achievement as a musician?
My proudest moment was being accepted to study with Tim Cobb.
Is there a person or people you most respect in your field and why?
I deeply respect my former teacher, Salvatore Macchia. I’ve never met someone more committed to music in every possible way. His love, curiosity, and breadth of knowledge of all of the elements of music and the contexts in which it fits us inspired me every day.
I don’t always love everything Chris Thile does, but I really appreciate and respect his orientation towards music. I love how he composes as well as plays, and he is generally a massively creative and versatile musician.
If you weren’t a musician, what would you be doing?
If I wasn’t a musician, I would be studying history, studying to become priest, a teacher, or living a lost and disorienting existence.
What is a surprising part of playing your instrument that you think most people don’t know?
The biggest surprise about playing the bass to some might be is its capacity to be a beautiful solo instrument.
What is the biggest challenge and/or surprise about playing in an orchestra?
The biggest surprise about orchestra playing to me when I first started was how flexible the music could be, and that it wasn’t just about reading a script (which was a prejudice I had about classical music in general previously).
What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
Advice to my younger self would be that putting as much effort as possible into music would be the best possible thing for my well-being and my best chance at a positive future.
What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
I wish I had known that you don’t have to start very young to participate and have something to contribute to music. And that if I just kept working hard that every hour spent would pay off more than I could imagine.