Jazz Improvisation Clinic at New Mexico State University

A native of Las Vegas, New Mexico, I come from a family of music educators, with a grandfather, father, brother, two uncles and seven cousins having been involved in music education within the state of New Mexico. 

I received a Bachelors Degree in Music Education at New Mexico State University, Masters of Music Education at the University of North Texas, and a Doctorate in Trumpet Performance from the University of Oklahoma.  

I maintain a national and international reputation as a performer and clinician.  During my tenure at university, my jazz ensembles recorded four big band albums and participated in several national festivals including the Reno and University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festivals.  My international appearances include performances in Austria, Czechoslovakia, Colombia, Guatemala, Germany, Italy and France.  My NMSU jazz and trumpet ensembles recently completed a tour of Spain where they performed at the Festival International in Massanassa, Spain. My students can be found teaching and performing on Broadway, in premier DC military bands, university campus' and in public and private schools across the country.  They have participated and won national and international trumpet performance competitions over the years.

I was principal trumpet with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra 2001-2023.  I frequently perform with the El Paso Symphony, NMSU Faculty Quintet, Brass Souls Quintet, Tres Metales, I direct the Border Jazz Orchestra, Footprints Jazz Quintet and Capones Swing Band.