My mission as a composer is to write music that speaks to everyone. When I write a piece, I want anyone from anywhere to be able to listen to it and know exactly what it is I am trying to convey. I strongly believe that the goal of writing music is to reach out and connect with people - what good is writing if no one wants to listen to it?

I get inspiration from many sources - books, stories, plays, people, movies, places I’ve been to, places I want to go. I pour my experiences into my music and want nothing more than people to understand it. I write in a clear idiom - I aim to make my music as enjoyable to play as it is to listen to. Few things make me happier than musicians who express delight in playing my music.

Some would call my method “tonal”. I don’t know that such a label is appropriate, as arguable (or not) as it may be. All I know is that I go with my gut - I write whatever I feel is necessary for whatever it is I am trying to get across. You generally won’t find me using twelve tone rows or set theory, but you will also rarely find V-I progressions or traditional tonal plans.

My influences are expanding by the day, but I have grown up submersed in film music. One of the reasons I am so drawn to the genre is that its purpose is in fact to convey and enhance, something my style lends itself to. I am an unapologetic follower of the music of John Williams. No one’s music is more universal, no one’s has become a part of people’s lives like his. The level of construction - counterpoint, orchestration, melody - is truly impeccable. I only hope that I can have a career a tenth as successful as his. Aside from Williams, my most inspiring figures include Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Benjamin Britten, John Cage, Victoria, Palestrina, Sondheim, and Faure.

In general there are no limits to what I want to do - writing for the orchestra excites me. I love to conduct and want to improve my skills so that I can one day be a music director. Broadway really speaks to me - the idea of writing a musical thrills me, as does music directing and/or working in the pit. I have been a choral singer since grade school and have a profound passion for choral music - it is a medium I will never tire of.

I am constantly learning, growing, looking for ways to expand my voice. Collaborations with performers and other composers are so important - opportunities to do this are vital. I plan to do as much as I can in as many venues as possible. Truly, the sky is the limit.