Resume
Narrative Resume
My bass teacher David Cobb and I in Florida, 2000
In high school I was able to take an Advanced Placement music theory class for college credit, study bass with RI Philharmonic member Eliot Porter, play in the RI Philharmonic youth orchestra, and take extensive private lessons in composition and arrangement with my school band teacher, leading to the school band playing my own arrangement of the first movement of Beethoven's 5th symphony. Present at that performance was another student's parent, who happened to be chair of the Department of Music at Rhode Island College. I was subsequently enrolled in their music program in my senior year of high school. During college, I had the benefit of one of the best double bass teachers in the world, David Cobb. David is a special man and great teacher who did a tremendous amount for me personally, and has propelled many bass players to successful careers. Little to none is mentioned of him online, but his son Tim Cobb is one of the most famous players in the bass world, and a list of David's students would include principal players of many major orchestras worldwide.
During college, I became more interested in world music, and began my studies in musicology that are ongoing to this day. I've always been interested in the music of southeast Asia, particularly that of India and Bali. This was the focus of my honors project in Ethnomusicology, and formed the basis of my graduate studies at Goddard college. I also took classes with Ali Akbar Khansahib, at the Ali Akbar College of Music where I studied Indian music theory and also took tabla classes with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri. My graduate studies focused on the unity of concepts found in various musical traditions. I drew on the wide variety of music traditions in my own life to find the universal undercurrents that they all share. My style of musicology uses new technology for analysis, and focuses on detailed study in a universal context.
I have always had interest in recording technology and audio equipment, from the time I was a small child I recorded tapes and built my own recording systems. Starting after graduate school I began working professionally as an audio engineer, working both on stages at local venues during large touring shows and in small studios or at home recording. I've been lucky to have been trusted with recording a lot of local bands, and you can hear those recordings elsewhere on this site. I enjoy being a part of these excellent projects and offer a helpful perspective being a performing musician myself. And since I have no formal training in audio engineering, my approach and techniques for recording are entirely unique.
Singer Lisa Fischer called me on stage during her show at the Park Theater in 2014, while I was working the stage monitors (Photo by Erin X. Smithers)
You can view my complete and detailed resume on Linkedin, if you add me as a connection (please message me first).
