I started playing the violin when I was nine years old. Unlike the piano lessons I had previously taken, the violin lessons stuck. I quickly progressed through the Suzuki program, studying under the late Margery Aber and later, Kyoko Fuller. Ms. Aber was a wonderful teacher and mentor, and I am grateful for the time I spent with her. She taught me precision, discipline, and the importance of practice, as well as many other life lessons. After Ms. Aber passed away, Kyoko Fuller took over my musical pedagogy and introduced me to exciting new repertoire and pushed my musicality and expression to new levels.
After high school, I continued playing violin at the Naval Academy, where I was a member of various orchestras and the Midshipmen String Quartet. I also sang some of the most masterful choral music written with the Naval Academy Men’s Glee Club in world-class venues. As a graduate student in Monterey, I continued playing in a community orchestra, through which I met some phenomenal chamber musicians. We would get together to play through quartets and trios in each other’s homes - much as chamber music was originally intended.
Unfortunately, years spent away on ships and in industrial environments led me to reluctantly part ways with an active musical life. When, upon returning from Afghanistan in 2020 I resolved to seek out opportunities to play again, I was met with the COVID-19 pandemic. Happily, I’ve returned to playing with fellow musicians at UC San Diego, which has a flourishing and talented music community.
I love to play chamber and orchestral music, but also enjoy folk rock, acoustic rock, bluegrass, and even country music settings. I’ve played countless classical performances, many weddings, and a few band gigs.