Life is what you make it… I believe that’s essentially true. I also believe life is pure chaos. Empowered but helpless, cognizant and clueless. I feel the schism of these two truths yet they balance me. Centered by contradictions, always of two minds, a true contrarian. It’s an absurd state of being. Profoundly absurd. In regards to my work, that would be my ideal review. 

My entire life, minus the wonderfully aimless years of childhood, has been centered in the arts. Specifically music. I’m a low brass player who is happiest when playing jazz and rock. But my other identity is a writer. 

My writing has taken the shape as an educator and academic, as a reviewer and essayist, as a very inconsistent diarist. As ideas come to me and gain traction, I’ve learned to write them out. If not, they stay with me and invade my thoughts. I’m a chronic daydreamer and it’s tedious to mull over the same scenario for months on end. Writing and composing clears my mind and makes space for new capers to entertain my imagination. Lately, as in the past 5 years, these writings have taken the form of fringe musicals.

It’s there, through song and dialogue, I can explore my fascination with the absurd. I poke at our stranger qualities and hidden motives, expose them, laugh at them. I revel in both the humor of self-awareness and obliviousness. I build big egos and watch them rage and crumble. 

My lead characters are almost always femme. I love writing for nontraditional, flawed female leads. They’re given the same opportunities to succeed and fall hard, to flail and bluster, to plunder and gate-keep. 

The music I write is informed by my background in jazz and while I do transcribe lead sheets, I do not care to write out every note. As a recovering large ensemble player, I love what a small group of musicians and improvisation can lend to my shows. 

I’m excited about what the future has in store for my work. I’ve received grants for my work and I’m grateful for that support and more to come my way. My awarded grants have included the Emerging Creator Fellowship (2020) and an Artist Support Grant (2021) from the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte, NC. In 2022, we premiered an independent film to a sold-out audience. I’ve recently completed my first full-length musical with four smaller shows under my belt.

I intend to continue writing in both large and small musical forms, to put my femme abusurdist leanings front stage and continue making room for all that’s yet to come.