What do you do for a living?
I am a doctoral student in composition at UCSC as well as a freelance trumpet player.

What would you be doing if you weren't doing that?
I can't imagine!

What do you do in your free time?
Cooking, watching basketball, reading (not enough!).

What brought you to Santa Cruz?
First and foremost, the incredible faculty and composition program at UCSC. Also, I was born and raised in Chicago, then went to college on the East Coast, so graduate school in California was quite appealing!

What's your favorite street?
It's a cliché, but I'd have to go with West Cliff.

Name something you're excited about.
Continuing to make music and seeing where it takes me.

Name a pet peeve.
People who take themselves too seriously (including myself!).

What are you reading?
A book of collected short stories by T.C. Boyle; The New Yorker.

What's the most important thing you've learned in the last three years?
To always be ready for inspiration--it can come from anywhere, in forms you might not expect.

What's your most recent personal food trend?
Sausage sandwiches; anything with basil (I just bought a plant); slow cooked Irish-style oatmeal with toasted walnuts.

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