Artist's Statement

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Living in Nashville Tennessee, I am fortunate to be able to work with a wide range of professionals in the recording industry. In addition to my skills as a player, I regularly contract, arrange, and produce string sessions at studios in town. I have completed hundreds of professional sessions, both in the studio and remotely, and have been able to work with clients on 6 continents (still waiting on an order to come in from Antarctica someday!). Working with musicians from a diverse set of professional backgrounds, genres, and culture has posed a unique challenge. I have found, however, that this process has helped me become a better listener in musical contexts, which then translates to tracks that fit perfectly with the vision of the producer. In 2019, I recorded remotely for Jake Rye of Social Recording Company on the winner of the International Songwriting Competition in the Country Music category (Kate Pederson's The Landing).

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I am an experienced live performer, multi-instrumentalist, and background vocalist. I have played with groups such as: Disturbed (Metal), Walter Debarr (Appalachian indie-rock, singer/songwriter), Render the Hearts (Christian), Cypress (Folk), Chaylyn (Pop/Singer-Songwriter), and others. I often switch between cello, guitar, bass, and other instruments from song to song. I am skilled in the use of music technology, and regularly use analogue effects as well as my Line-6 Helix for sound reinforcement purposes on stage.

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I attended Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia from 2016-2020 receiving bachelor's degrees in both Cello Performance, and Music Education. My time at in West Virginia was incredibly formative as I developed my technical abilities greatly and was exposed to a professional studio environment for the first time. In addition to my classical studies, however, living in Appalachia allowed me to experience many styles of music that I had not previously considered pursuing. After beginning my journey into Bluegrass and other Americana genres, I became deeply interested in the history of this area of the United States that is often left behind in national discourse. This personal journey resulted in the writing and publishing of my first academic paper Multicultural Musical Landscapes: Investigating Musical Influences in the Southern West Virginia Coalfields in John's Hopkins Macksey Journal (2020). I was also invited to present this research at the International Society of Music Educator's World Conference in Helsinki, Finland in 2020. This event was unfortunately moved online due to Covid-19. 

I am a founding member of the acoustic folk trio Cypress, along with two of my close friends Zac Doss and Cierra James-Doss. This project is among my most creatively fulfilling, and allows me to explore innovative techniques within the genre of Americana on the cello. We released our debut album firstfruits in 2020. 

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In addition to my work as a performer, I also teach private students and small ensembles. I teach through Belmont Academy, where I also direct small ensembles which focus on both classical and alternative string playing. As an improvising cellist, my main specialty lies in helping my students navigate excellence in a variety of styles.