I’ve been a union member since I first began performing with the Florida Philharmonic. As an active cellist in the Western New York area, I am currently a member of the Buffalo and Niagara Falls locals as well as Local 802. Besides symphonic work, I have experience in musical theatre, opera and ballet orchestras, recording studios and big bands. I’ve directed musicals at a local high school for the past 15 years, and I also adjudicate at ECMEA and NYSSMA solo festivals. I’ve even dipped my toe into a rock group or two. (I have a very cool six-string Cobra electric cello that I enjoy playing.) Two of my most exciting recent gigs were a show with Stevie Wonder and a three-week run of “Spring Awakening.” Stevie Wonder is such a first-class musician and human being. And “Spring Awakening” has one of the most rocking cello parts I’ve ever played, rating right up there with “Evita” and “West Side Story.” Music has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember; nothing compares to the joy and satisfaction I experience when I play my cello. And as a teacher and performer, I enjoy sharing that joy with others. When I connect with others through music, I am reminded of something Pablo Casals once said to Shinichi Suzuki: “Perhaps it is music that will save the world.” Outside of music, I am an avid runner, and have completed several half marathons.