Born in Cleveland, Ohio. In love with music since age 5 or so. Was soon writing little pieces. Studied music at Cleveland Institute of Music, Interlochen Arts Academy, and Juilliard School—where my major teachers were Elliott Carter and Luciano Berio. In the many decades since, I have written music for concert hall (National Symphony, Emerson Quartet, New York Choral Society, et al.), Off-Broadway productions, network TV (ABC, CNN, among others), dance companies, schools, houses of worship, etc. My "Matinee Concerto, as Broadcast Live From the Late Twentieth Century," written for Philip Setzer, has been performed multiple times, won awards, and, according to the New York Times, "reminded us of a young Bartók, in search of his people's voice." 

Throughout my musical life, I have been dedicated to finding the intersection(s) of the Classical, Jazz, Rock, and Afro-Cuban traditions that I hold so dear. One of the last paper-and-pencil guys.