RESUME

Music Educator • Military Band Musician • Conductor & Composer

Service-oriented, adaptable instrumental music professional, and honors graduate from Berklee College of Music and Western Illinois University. Bassist, composer, arranger, and conductor with extensive experience in a broad array of band, orchestra, jazz, rock, chamber ensembles, and choir. Talent for motivating and mobilizing people of all levels.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Distinguished Honor Graduate & Class Leader Award (2025) – Army School of Music Advanced Leaders Course

  • Award of Meritorious Service in the Early Career Educator category (2024) - Illinois State Board of Education

  • Teacher of The Year (2022-2023) - ROWVA High School

  • Distinguished Honor Graduate (2022) – Army School of Music AIT.

  • Soldier of the Year (2022) – Illinois Army National Guard RSP India Company.

  • John Bavicchi/Beverly Lewis Award (2018) – Honored by Berklee Composition Department as the student who contributed most to building community within the department.

  • Wachter Fellowship Recipient (2017) – Berklee’s top 5 students selected to live/study in Los Angeles for 3 months. Visited music and film recording studios. Interned for video game composer Mike Raznick. 

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

ILLINOIS ARMY NATIONAL GUARD  2021 – Present

Sergeant| Musical Performance Team (MPT) Leader, 144th Army Band

Enlisted member of the Illinois Army National Guard, 144th Army Band. Promote readiness by performing music for troop gatherings, military ceremonies, and civic and public events, providing music that raises troop morale and fosters esprit de corps. Leverage background in composition, conducting, and as a bass player.

  • Guest Conductor for Illinois Polish Freedom Day Ceremony (May 2023).

  • Musical Performance Team(MPT) Leader of Close Quarters Jazz Combo. Led 32 missions as MPT Leader of Close Quarters Jazz Combo; arranged and directed original performances, introducing innovative instrumentation. 

  • Revived the 144th Big Band after a 6-year hiatus. Curated repertoire, led rehearsals, and conducted performances statewide.

  • Served as MPT NCO, mentored MPT leaders, developed performance strategies for multiple ensembles, and ensured mission success across varied musical contexts.

ROWVA HIGH SCHOOL Oneida, IL | 2022 – 2025 

Director of Bands and Choirs

Lead all major music ensembles across grades 7–12, including marching band, concert band, jazz band, pep band, wind ensemble, choirs, and jazz choir. Also serves as an assistant director for musical theater and as a co-sponsor of the Varsity Club.

  • Attained #2 ILMBC (2022, 2023) at the University of Illinois Marching Band Championships.

  • Doubled enrollment of music students (2022: 23; 2023: 48; 2024: 59) by enabling music programs to be cost-free, successfully advocated for four new staff positions, and Secured funding through ROWVA Foundation grants, private fundraising, and community instrumental donations to make music and instruments free to all students in the district.

  • Earned 2nd place in the 2025 IHSA State Music Sweepstakes—the highest in ROWVA’s 75-year history.

  • Founded the school’s first Tri-M Music Honor Society (2024); established student leadership team and coordinated five annual community service events.

  • Consistently received superior contest ratings across eight active ensembles from choir, jazz choir, band, and jazz ensembles under my direction.

  • Mentored two new music department teachers. 

  • Served on the district’s Professional Development and Climate & Culture Teams.

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY Bloomington, IL | 2025 – Present 

Graduate Assistant Conducting

Studying Wind Band Conducting with Dr. Tony Marinello and Dr. Mack Wood, working as the Graduate Assistant for the Big Red Marching Machine, and participating in multiple wind band ensembles.  

OTHER RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

KNOX GALESBURG SYMPHONY • Board Member / Bass Player/ Conductor 2024 – Present

STARBUCKS • Assistant Manager (2020-2021) / Barista 2019 – 2021

SWEETWATER SOUND • Sales Engineer 2018 – 2019

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC Boston, MA | 2014 – 2018

• Intern for Richard Carrick, Chair of Berklee Composition Department (Fall 2017)

• Head Resident Assistant (2017–2018)

• Resident Assistant (2016–2017)

• Session Musician (2014–2018)

• Accompanist (2014–2018)

EDUCATION

ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY, Bloomington, IL 

Master of Arts, Wind Conducting, anticipated Graduation 2027

Studied Conducting with Dr. Tony Marinello III, Composition with Dr. Roy Mangussen

University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Conducting Workshop 2025

Studied conducting with Col. Jason Fettig (Ret.)

WESTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY, Macomb, IL

Master of Arts, Teaching, Music Concentration 2025

Earned a Professional Educator License, Cumulative GPA 4.0

University of Texas at Arlington

Texas Conducting Workshop 2024

Studied conducting with Dr. Clifton Evans and Jeffrey Grogan

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC, Boston, MA

Bachelor of Music, Film Scoring and Composition (dual major), minor in Conducting, 2018

Graduated summa cum laude with 3.9 GPA

Berklee Scholarship Recipient - performance scholarship for electric & upright bass

HELLENIC AMERICAN UNIVERSITY, Athens & Amorgos Island, Greece

Composition for String Quartet – Intensive Study, Summer 2016