It’s not just composing.

While my commissions calendar is nearly always open, I’m also available to work on projects that extend into my other areas of expertise. If you want me to spend time with your studio, class, faculty, or community, check out my offerings below and drop me a line using the information on my Contact page. I’ll work with you to make sure your needs and my abilities are a good fit.

Please note: for in-person school visits of any kind, I am happy to offer composition lessons (and, on a case-by-case basis, non-jazz improvisation lessons) as time and my capacity allow. I do not charge students extra for these lessons, because I think that’s unethical if I’m already being paid to be there.

I keep a limited number of slots available for free or low-cost presentations each year. Ensembles and institutions in rural or otherwise under-resourced areas get first priority for these. Please reach out using the current email address on my Contact page to inquire about my availability! (And I’ll always do my best to work with whatever budget you’ve got, no matter what.)

Commissions and Consortia

For information about commissioning a new work, please click here to visit my Commission Information page.
For information about running or joining a consortium, please click here to visit my Consortium Information page.

Lectures and Workshops (virtual or in person)

I adore working with learners of all experience levels to develop skills and explore ideas I’m passionate about. Here are a few of my favorite things you can hire me to speak about:

• Working with composers (for performers and educators): Many of the best instrumental and conducting teachers encourage their students to work with living composers on new works, but we’d all be even better off if we spoke more transparently about pitfalls and how to avoid them. I draw on my experiences as both a composer and performer to give my best recommendations for building strong relationships with composers, whether you’re commissioning or presenting a preexisting work.
• Rehearsal and performance practices for traumatic subject matter (for anyone even potentially rehearsing or presenting such works): I work with traumatic topics quite frequently, and I’ve been presenting them in concert halls since 2016. Whenever I go down that path for a performance or a new work, it’s important that I prioritize the safety and wellbeing of performers and crew as well as the audience. In this presentation, I discuss how I go about this, with examples of successful past performances, and offer suggestions for folks who think they too might find artistic fulfillment in wandering around in the dark.
• Demystifying extended brass techniques (for performers, educators, and/or composers): For over a decade, one of my biggest goals as a composer has been to build a body of work that allows brass players to explore extended techniques one or two at a time without also constantly requiring an obscene high range. I can talk for days about my approach to this and recommendations for additional study, including notational guidelines, biomechanical constraints, performer accommodations, and appropriate goal setting.
• Pedagogical approaches to composition (for performers, educators, and/or composers): The first thing I really loved about composing was that I could write music that would exactly fit a performer’s skill sets. Over time, I’ve found I also have a fondness for using my music to introduce specific concepts to performers—some notational, some technique-based, some stylistic. In this lecture, I share how I incorporate this into my creative process without sacrificing my other musical goals and discuss how performers can request these kinds of considerations when working with composers on custom-tailored music. This presentation can be combined with or added to my working with composers and demystifying extended brass techniques lectures.
• Running a successful call for scores (for performers, directors, and/or presenters): No two composers will have exactly the same feelings about a call for scores. But if your ensemble cares deeply about new music and doesn’t have an immense budget, you can still do your best to do right by the composers you work with! I can speak as both a performer running a call and a composer submitting to one, and I’ll talk you through what I’ve found works best and what you should absolutely avoid.

Clinics (virtual or in person) and Recitals (in person)

I’m almost always game to put on a clinic, where I work directly with performers during rehearsal or in front of a class. I firmly believe no one should walk out of a clinic performance feeling shamed in any way, and I aim to do everything in my power to make positive experiences for the performers I get to engage with. Unlike many of my talented trumpet peers, I don’t go into these as a repertoire encyclopedia; instead, I prioritize addressing artistic choices and identifying strategies for improvement that work with each individual performer’s biomechanics.

My recital availability depends heavily on my disabilities and how they are currently impacting my body. When I am able to give a recital, I focus almost exclusively on new music. You’ll probably hear something I wrote, you might hear me improvise, and you almost certainly won’t hear standard rep. My bag of tricks includes conventional recitals (primarily performance), lecture recitals (roughly half-and-half performing and talking), or narrative recitals (driven by a story line and may include interdisciplinary components).

Residencies (virtual or in person)

For programs looking for more than just a day of collaboration, I am happy to explore if a residency would be a good fit. For in-person residencies, I typically ask that housing or travel—specifically whichever is more expensive—is handled by the host organization. My fee is also substantially higher than a single-day visit, but I am available to meet with more learners and generally more open to addressing a wider range of topics than those listed above. For instance, during my 2024 residency at Hendrix College, I visited numerous departments: sociology (guest lecture in Stereotyping & Prejudice), psychology (guest lecture in Gender & Sexuality), film (guest lecture in Digital Storytelling), and music (guest lectures in Introduction to Western Classical Music and Diatonic Harmony, an hour-long lecture open to the public about my experiences working with traumatic topics, plus rehearsals and a performance with the Hendrix Wind Ensemble). All in a little over three days!

As with my other school visits, during my residencies, I am happy to offer private composition lessons (and, on a case-by-case basis, non-jazz improvisation lessons) at no extra charge to the institution or the students.

Private lessons (virtual or in person)

As my time and capacity allow, I offer both regularly-occurring and one-off lessons in composition, trumpet/flugelhorn, music theory, and beginning to intermediate piano. If you are concerned about affordability, I will gladly work with you to find a solution that works for us both wherever possible. Partial scholarships are often available.

Paid performances (in person)

When I am able to accept paid performing work, I can be booked on trumpet, flugelhorn, piano, and (in specific circumstances only) voice.

Studio work (remote or local)

My availability for studio recording work is extremely dependent on my disabilities and how they are affecting me. For more information and pricing, please send me an email using the information on my Contact page. If I am unable to accommodate your request, I may be able to refer you to a colleague who can.

If you’d like to hire me for something not listed here, use my Contact page to pitch me your idea! If my availability, boundaries, and expertise permit, I’d love to explore new things with you. Please send me an email using the information on my Contact page to start the booking process and schedule a meeting if applicable.