Teaching All Low Brass Private Lessons in a safe, comfortable environment. Lessons are scheduled at the students' and parents' convenience and the instructs' availability. The instructional focus is a balance of these elements: materials the student is working on in school, fundamental warm-up techniques, fundamental sigh-reading skills, all of which lead up to fun music that is at the current ability of the student. The whole point is for the student to know the feeling of joy through music, and experience it regularly. Without that, there is no point in all the hard work it takes to become good at this. It is the "Aesthetic Purpose", and is the exact opposite of any "Anaesthitics" we may be taking in life to dull the pain or slow down the mind. This is what I teach my students, that by sight-reading music, and by improvising jazz, they can use all of their energy in a positive way that leads toward happiness."Awesomeness counts... It's worth it to put in the extra effort in the long run" -R. Chuck Jacks

Sight-Reading Music with one-hour's notice, every style conceivable (Classical Era, Romantic Era, Film Soundtrack Music, Jazz, Bebop, Dixieland, Modern Pop Music, 50's, 60's 70's 80's 90's 2000's, Broadway, Rock, Latin Folk Music, Latin Jazz, Brazilian Jazz, Caribbean Music, Vaudeville Schtick, Motown, Brazilian Pop Music, Russian Folk Songs, Swing Dance Music, etc.). Brand new music every other day, a one-hour rehearsal plus two shows every night of the week. Playing Trombone, and Improvising Jazz. Being an Entertainer (not just a musician), Interacting with Guests. Knowing The Guest Ratings System, and having an understanding that the guest's opinions matter, whether they know anything about music or not - it is our job to make them happy or they don't come back.World Travel - 6 Continents, including Antarctica. Highlights include: Paris (L'Tour Eiffel), Cairo (The Great Pyramids), Norway (my relatives are from Bergen), Russia (The Cathedrals in St. Petersburg), Greece (The Acropolis), Italy (Venice), Turkey (Istanbul), Israel (Jerusalem & walking the stations of the cross), France (Normandy), UK (London & Edinburgh), Ireland (Dublin), Tunisia (Tunis), Canary Islands, Caribbean (Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Aruba, St. John's), Mexico (Acapulco-Earthquake!), Brazil (Amazon, Rio de Janeiro)International Safety Regulations require all Cruise Ship Employees to regularly train for Life Boat Evacuation Duty. Responsibilities include: Communicating emergency procedures with hand gestures, etc. to passengers who do not speak English, Demonstrating the proper way to wear the life vest, keeping passengers calm in the event of a real emergency, organizing the passengers onto the life boats safe & calm, lowering the lifeboats, detaching the life boat from the cables, driving the life boat clear of the ship. Also included in training is fire safety aboard an all-steel vessel (the heat is radiated in all directions at once), CPR, and many more life-saving techniques.

At The Monessen Elementary Center:Teacher, Pull-Out Band Lessons, Grades 4-5 (including recruiting and maintaining positive relations with the classroom teachers in organizing pull-out lessons) At the Monessen Jr.-Sr. High School:Teacher, Middle School Concert Band, Grades 7-8 (a different teacher taught 6th grade band)Teacher, High School Concert Band, Grades 9-12Teacher, Music Theory (Independent Study)Teacher, Symphonic Band After School:Director, Marching Band (Paid Stipend - including working with the Band Parents Organization, organizing trips for the Marching Band each spring, hosting a Band Festival each Fall, Organizing Band Camp for 3 weeks in the summer, writing Marching Drill, and Arranging & Choosing Music)Director, Jazz Band (Volunteer)Director, Pep Band (Volunteer)

Graduate Assistant Director: Penn State Marching "Blue Band" & Director of numerous small pep bands at away games & events, as well as hundreds of events on-campus throughout the year.Director: Penn State "Pride of the Lions" Basketball Pep Band (Men's Home Games & Women's, including all tournament games - highlight was the 2001 Men's Team "March Madness" Tournament Game at New Orleans that resulted in them moving on to the Sweet Sixteen Round in Atlanta for the first time in 54 years!)Including all the numerous small pep band events, the Athletics Band Program at Penn State averaged 350 performances a year during my tenure.