As a musician I work to accomplish three things: First, regularly sharing the joy and meaning that I find in music with those around me by performing: whether it is in someone's home, a restaurant, or in the concert hall. Second, a two-fold ambition as a string player: To bring to life and share works of great western classical composers, old and new, well known and obscure, and to bring the sound and character of strings (violin & viola) into a more prominent role in contemporary and popular music styles.Third, and perhaps most important: inspiring and teaching others to hone their skills and share their talents and love for music!This third goal that I have in music is not just to create better musicians, it's to create better humans!Scientific research has recently shown that learning a musical instrument as a child dramatically enhances every other major cognitive skill - verbal, motor, mathematical, and abstract thinking. Because of this, participation in playing an instrument or singing engages every major area of the brain in a way that no other activity can!However, what most of us value in music is that it speaks beyond words and brings depth and perspective to our existence - so learning to take part in creating music can enhance *every* area of a person's life. And when people join together in making music it helps them connect and create joy in a powerful way. My part in music comes from a fundamental aspect of myself: creating music is my greatest passion!