about me

i am a texas-born brooklyn-based writer/composer/lyricist working mostly in the theater. my music incorporates both traditional instruments and electronic composition techniques, including samples, with a strong emphasis on fusing various "American" genres and framing older forms in a contemporary way. i'm obsessed with the mythology of the United States. and with rhythm. and with post-minimalist music. and with the fuzzy line between "high" and "low" art. i write a whole lot about race and the legacy of white supremacy in America. and sometimes about robots.

my shows have been performed in New York in various concert performances, and in full production at the New York Musical Theatre Festival (STREET LIGHTS, 2009; WHITE NOISE, 2006). after winning a Summer Theater Award for best score, WHITE NOISE was optioned by Whoopi Goldberg for Broadway. it almost made it there, but closed out of town. all my songs had been cut by that time. i'm not suggesting those two phenomena are related, just giving you guys the information. STREET LIGHTS got picked up by the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego for a production, but the creative team fell apart in rehearsals so it never quite happened. we all learned so much, though, you guys.

i studied composition for a year at Berklee College of Music in Boston, but left after a year. the tuition was too damn high. but mostly i just wanted to get to New York as fast as i could.

other interesting tidbits: i worked as the primary speechwriter for Howard Dean's failed presidential campaign in 2003, and got to write a number of great speeches, several of which Dean actually delivered. i didn't write the one you're thinking of. but i did get to write this one, which a prominent African American periodical called "the most important statement on race in American politics by a mainstream white politician in nearly 40 years". i also got to write a 5,000 word essay on poverty in America for Vanity Fair magazine. under the name "Howard Dean", of course, but it was still pretty sweet.

ABC Primetime also did a segment on WHITE NOISE in 2006, so i can credibly say that my music has been featured on national television.

my first musical, SKY'S END, was produced when i was 18 at the Blank Theatre Company in Los Angeles. i got nominated for an L.A. "Robbie" award for Best Music and Lyrics. Back Stage West published a scene from the show, so i can credibly call myself a published playwright.

snippets of music to come...