Born in British Columbia, Canada, he spent his childhood immersed in music. He picked up the saxophone at the age of 12 and has been playing ever since. After high school he devoted himself to the study of classical and jazz saxophone earning a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Adams State College (Alamosa, CO) and a Master's degree in Saxophone Performance and Jazz Pedagogy from the esteemed University of Northern Colorado. While at the University of Northern Colorado