I grew up surrounded by music, but it wasn’t until middle school that I knew that music was the career path I wanted in life. As a very reserved and shy kid, there was something about playing in bands, singing in choirs and playing roles in shows that helped me break out of my shell. My path had always been education-focused, but once I started performing, I couldn’t stop. Moving to NYC in 2011 was the first major step in taking my performance career seriously. After spending over three years with nonunion national tours (“Shrek: The Musical,” “Hello, Dolly!” starring Sally Struthers, “Anything Goes” and “Elf: The Musical”), I realized it was time to start reaching for the next level if I wanted to achieve my goal of playing for a Broadway show, so I took the next big step and joined the union. I look forward to what the future holds as a Local 802 member. I am primarily an alto saxophonist and I double on soprano, tenor and baritone saxes as well as flute, alto flute, piccolo, Bb and Eb clarinet and bass clarinet.