I was turned on to the guitar at an early age by my dad's Sears "wall-hanger" flat-top. I began playing at age 14, and by 15 I was playing in bars, VFW halls, and other makeshift venues in Kansas City's vibrant all-ages music scene of the early 1980s. With over 20 years of gigging under my belt, my passion for playing guitars is rivaled only by my passion for tweaking, modifying, building, and acquiring them! I spent seven years as Production Manager for the prestigious Sadowsky Guitars in NYC. That was followed by a long stint in Nashville working at the Gibson Custom Shop; the first two years in the ProShop followed by four years in the engineering department. I recently returned to Kansas City to raise my family and I'm thrilled to have found a home at Musician's Friend Private Reserve, where I'm surrounded by some of the finest guitars ever made.

All it took was hearing the intro to "Turn to Stone" by Joe Walsh to know that I wanted to play guitar. I started out by teaching myself all the classic rock riffs. This eventually led to a bachelor's degree in classical guitar performance from Benedictine College. After college, I played in bands that shared the stage with such acts as Neil McCoy, Brian McComas, and Joe Nichols. I also play classical gigs on a semi-regular basis locally along with playing at a local church every week. Through the years, I have taught as many as 40 students per week from ages 7 to 70, while keeping up on all the current teaching methods.

As a youngster, Lifeson, Gilmour, Page, Hendrix, and Van Halen were some of the musical magicians that first weaved their hypnotic spell upon me, propelling me on a lifelong journey in search of the ultimate tone, technique, and experience with our beloved 6-string. Classic rock, heavy metal, progressive art-rock, '80s new wave, and even country are styles that I've played for over 25 years. A degree in Music Business Management, a diploma from Guitar Institute of Technology, and several jobs ranging from teaching at local music stores to managing a local music haven led me to this golden opportunity to work with the world's finest instruments and the best team of guitar enthusiasts at Musician's Friend Private Reserve.