About This:

The title of my recent CD, "Hauntings: scream-of-consciousness" , comes from a growing awareness of the various ways that Irish culture has been "haunting", or influencing my music and my life in recent years, even before I began traveling there. My grandparents were from Ireland and I have recently been reunited with family there. I have also claimed my Irish citizenship as my birthright from my Grandparents.
All of the pieces on this CD are piano or piano quintet and have been influenced by a growing interest in the language, music, people and country of Ireland. The music led me to the language which I have been studying since 1997. I spent four months living in Galway, Ireland in '97, where I composed my Piano Quintet, Spiral Dances.

Some of the pieces have literal musical references to Gaelic songs or instrumental music, while others are more influenced by Celtic symbols, festivals or places. Other pieces have been influenced by certain timbral aspects of Irish music such as the drone and then others are written to celebrate certain festivals of the ancient Celtic calendar.

Composing, performing and teaching have filled my musical life for the past 25 years. During that period, I have been teaching composition and piano at Berklee College of Music where I have also served as Assistant Chair of the Piano Department for the past ten years.
Over the years, I have presented numerous concerts of contemporary music, both as a performer and a composer, working primarily in the Boston area. My growing interest and studies in Irish culture and language have influenced my music tremendously over the past ten years. In 1997 I lived in Galway, Ireland for four months while I was on sabbatical from my teaching position. During that time I studied Irish language, Irish music (sean nós singing in particular) and composed my piano quintet, Spiral Dances.
I am a specialist in piano technique and have a developed a technique based on my studies with Madame Chaloff and my 25 years of teaching and playing experience. I have had many successful students in both the Jazz and classical field.

Professional Background At 12 years old I was hired by Virginia Williams, then Director of the Boston Ballet, to accompany dance classes. I continued to do much dance and vocal accompanying for many years.
In 1974 I received my bachelors degree in composition from Berklee College of Music and in 1977 my Masters in Composition from New England Conservatory. I studied piano for 6 years with Madame Chaloff, the most important and influential teacher in my life.
For the past twenty five years I have been a faculty member at Berklee College of Music. During that time, I have taught counterpoint, harmony, analysis, composition, ensembles, ear-training and private piano lessons in classical, jazz and contemporary music, including a course in the Music of Charles Ives, the composer who has had the most profound influence on my musical composition. I have served as the Assistant Chair of the piano department at Berklee for the past 10 years.