My formal music training started with the violin during third grade in Logan, UT. At about eight years old, I sang in a children’s choir at the Logan Tabernacle. Seated between the organ pipes and the console, I could feel the music pressing on my chest as the organist played. This first meaningful encounter with the organ deeply impressed me, and cemented in my mind a desire to play it. When my mother took me with her to a fabric store as a child, I would immediately head to the multi-tiered display and “play” the thread like an organ.

After my family moved to Beeville, a small town 60 miles from anywhere in south Texas during fifth grade, I switched to the piano because there were no orchestra resources in town. During high school, I finally began organ lessons while continuing with the piano. Shortly thereafter, I was called to be a ward organist and choir accompanist (and have served in those positions almost continuously ever since).

After graduation, I continued my organ studies at Brigham Young University, working with excellent teachers including Richard Elliott, Doug Bush, and Brett Zumsteg on the organ. I’m a huge fan of Early Music, and played harpsichord and other instruments in the Early Music Ensemble under the direction of Doug Bush. I also learned about theatre organ music and got my first taste of caring for pipe organs under the tutelage of Mike Ohman, who introduced me to Bill Hesterman. I worked on a number of organs with Bill after moving back to Utah. Later, he introduced me to Joseph Nielsen, the Master Organ Technician on Temple Square. It’s my great honor to serve as his Assistant Organ Technician in taking care of the eight pipe organs on Temple Square.

I currently serve as one of the Guest Organists on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. I love to compose, particularly for choir and organ. To support my music activities, I work as a pilot for Delta Air Lines. Like Bach, I enjoy playing many different pipe organs at various destinations in the country. Unlike Bach, I don’t have to walk days, or even weeks to get there!

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