Consulting

Pay as you go coachings, lessons, and conversations through a queer lens

A bearded man sitting casually on a white bench in formal attire resting a violin and bow against the bench. Next to the man is a small, stuffed bear.

I’m a gay, white, cisgender man. I’m a GenXer (born in 1974). I am a violinist and violist. I was a founding member of Eighth Blackbird, and I’ve been firmly implanted in academia (first at SMU and then at Michigan) since 2011. 

I’ve had plenty of doors opened for me, I’ve opened other doors myself, and I’ve tried to fit myself through doors that really, really didn’t want me to move through them. I’ve felt various degrees of pride, shame, and confusion about which doors are which and how those doors seem to morph (or not) throughout my career.

So, I’d like to share these experiences. Want a coaching on new music, any instrumentation? I love it. Want a violin or viola lesson on rep that isn’t “standard?” Bring it here. Want to chat about your goals, share your own queer experiences, strategize how to work within – or work to change – academia? Let’s figure it out. Let’s talk competitions, recordings, collaborations, education, programming. I’m here for a part of your journey, and I’m thrilled to hear more about it.

I am a chamber musician who specializes in performing new music from the Western European classical tradition. As a teacher, my pedagogy is focused on coaching small groups and administrating chamber music activities.

And at its heart, chamber music is a practice of listening.

I listen to my colleagues, to my friends, to my students. I ask them to listen to one another. We help each other try everything with a whole heart, share what we love and what we fear, and we repeat things over and over again until we feel them, we hold them close, or maybe they hold us. I stay as organized as I can. I treat myself and others with as much grace as I can. I question as much as I can, and I show gratitude for more than I can.

So, that’s what I’ll be sharing with you. I’ll be listening, questioning, and thanking you for your time. I’ll be showing you grace, telling you what organizational opportunities I see. I’ll invite you to share, to iterate, to be vulnerable, and to be proud of yourself. If that sounds like a good fit for you, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you.