I developed my love of music when I discovered the double bass in high school and my love of learning when I attended a small liberal arts college much like Warren Wilson. After college, I worked as a professional freelance musician for a few years before becoming interested in musicology. I became fascinated with the history of music in America as well as music in other parts of the world. Today, I continue to perform and record professionally in jazz and traditional music settings, while also teaching courses at Warren Wilson in American music and global music. My research and scholarship reflect this eclecticism, but I have a special interest in American vernacular sacred music. I am grateful to be at Warren Wilson, a place that allows me to engage the wonderful diversity of musical expression and share it with bright young minds. I live in Swannanoa with my wife and three children.