It’s an exciting time of change, growth, and transition for my partner Paige and I! Our family is moving to Nashville, and we're looking forward to new adventures together!
I have lived in the Coastal Virginia area since I arrived at CNU for undergrad in 2005, and there are many people here who have had a profoundly positive impact on my life. It’s a time of mixed emotions, as I am so looking forward to what’s next both with my career, and for our family and social lives.
I think I’ve performed in every dive bar in the area, as well as some of the greatest venues and pop-up venues in town. From the Ferguson Center, to the Norva, stages at festivals at Waterside, the oceanfront, LAVA Presents in Ghent and Park Place, jazz shows as part of series, or one offs, in the Arts District (do you remember The Parlor?) and everything in between. From my own jazz projects, and the MTV award nominated independent band Chasing Arrows, to playing together with Jake Hull, Jonah Ross Band, and most recently the Jacob Vanko Band, and my jazz band the Hamm Hawks.
My partner Paige moved here after school after we dated long distance, and started our life here together in 2014. We got engaged and married, lived in a bunch of crazy apartments, had dozens of dinner parties and did as much as possible to create a community of friends in town. So many memories and moments, and living here leaves an indelible mark on us as individuals and as a family. We’ve had great friends, as well as great friends come and go. Overall, I’m feeling a tremendous amount of gratitude for this special place that has given us our start, the people that have been there with us to enjoy it with us, and all the support from our family along the way.
We bought our first home in Park Place, and I have a lot of love for my neighborhood and the people here that make it special. The city of Norfolk has been a warm community of dedicated and collaborating individuals that want to make the city the best it can be, and I’ve enjoyed being a part of that progression, carrying the torch forward for my neighborhood and city, and passing it on to the next person.
Soundscapes is a significant part of my story here, as I’ve worked in dozens of capacities using all kinds of different skills to build and grow a music program from the ground up. What was a small staff with students on buckets and recorders is now fostering students to pursue their own careers, with the first class of students entering their senior year in college this fall. Soundscapes is tremendously positively impactful, both musically and as a youth development experience for students. Some of my students whom I had when they were in first grade I am still in touch with, and they know I’m here for them for life as a mentor and guide. I'm so excited for their lives and careers and am maxing out my fanship for them.
Bucket band grooves and songs in 2009 have morphed and grown into students playing full orchestral works with the Peninsula Youth Orchestra, side-by-side with the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, elementary orchestras, placements in national youth orchestras, and fairly recently a new jazz program that now has a few years under its belt.
The Soundscapes community is a thriving and rich community of skilled and passionate musicians, music patrons, teaching artists, and students, with a dedicated board and staff, and I am so proud to have co-created such an excellent music program that I know will be making music and positively impacting our community for generations! I'm confident we'll find ways to collaborate in the future.
I have so much more to say about Soundscapes, and it deserves a stand-alone piece. Look out for that one.
Even coming back to CNU as a professor for two semesters to work with the jazz combos and drummers there was an honor and a privilege. Our music is a deep tradition, and I view teaching as one of my duties as a musician to pass it along, as it was passed to me. It's both a heavy responsibility, and a lot of fun to see light bulbs go off, especially when working with students that put in the time and do their listening. When I hear a musician break through in their expressive capacities in a freeing-joy filled way, it's very gratifying. I've seen it in students of all ages in my classrooms and I love it when we make that happen.
It’s bitter-sweet parting ways with this beautiful place and the people that make it special, and at the same time I'm ready and really stoked for growth into a new chapter.
Come celebrate with us at Only You on Saturday night at 7pm where my jazz band the Hamm Hawks will perform, followed by a few DJ sets spinning records. Come grab a drink and join us!
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