B i o g r a p h y

 I started playing guitar in high school with aspirations of becoming a pop-punk bandleader, but quickly got into blues music and changed course.  A year later I picked up a harmonica and was hooked. I was fortunate enough to be able learn while backing up the Oregon blues legend Bobby Lindstrom.  At University of the Pacific, I was able to combine courses from the School of International Studies, the Conservatory of Music, and study abroad in Mali and Brazil to receive a BA in international relations with a concentration in world music.  From 2009 to 2010, I lived in the capital of Mali, West Africa, performing with the Mande Afrobeat group Malikan and starting Studio Nanou, a project to record underground music in Bamako.   Since returning to the US and moving to San Francisco, I have been enjoying performing and teaching music while still finding time to escape into the mountains for new inspiration.