I wish that in my lifetime I could achieve something great so as to really give this section some warrant and validity, but nonetheless, there are some people in my past who have truly shaped me in the way that I am today, people who have laid the groundwork in my life for (hopefully) greater things to come. I really hope I can do them justice by doing something grand in my life.

So here's to them...

Mom and dad;

    I feel like I've heard so many stories about people who come from broken families with divorced parents, questionable values and misplaced priorities. I am one of the very lucky lot to have two parents who were totally devoted to their family in every way possible. A loving and compassionate mother who was always there when you needed her, and a loving, strong father standing firm against the bad in society, always providing a solid example of what to be in this world, always working hard and doing everything for his wife and children.

    I feel like more and more the lot of a parent is less glamorous in this world today; it seems that we celebrate the worst in ourselves, making broken relationship of Hollywood the championed ideal lifestyle. We forget and do not have enough respect for how much love and commitment it truly takes to raise a family. Without my mom and dad making the countless sacrifices for the sake of their young ones, I certainly would not be what I am today.

Stephen B Moyer

    Mr. Moyer was my middle school band director. Looking back on it he really laid the foundation in me of all musical things to come, challenging me and encouraging me to pursue my interests in music. The more I think about it - especially given the nature of the musically challenged part of Maryland where we were living - I probably would've given up on trombone and music completely as a career had it been anybody else trying to fill that position. Thanks Mr. Moyer.

Eunice Leopold.

    Mrs. Leopold was the high school chorale director for two of my siblings and myself. I was really lucky to be able to play piano under her direction for the varsity chorus and other chorale ensembles in high school. Mrs. Leopold had a hypnotic, magic way of working with students; she would take a a class of 100+ adolescent teenagers, and have complete control, with them not making a sound or peep outside of what she wanted them to be singing. And it was like magic. If I had a video of her leading one of her rehearsals with the varsity chorus it would be worth gold.

    I played under momma Leo for the first two years in high school, until she got cancer. Working with a director, as an accompanist, you have a special relationship where you see a side of a person which other people don't see, even in high school. After she had been diagnosed, treated, and supposedly cured she came back to teach for one week. I remember on the last day of that week, prior to one of the varsity chorus rehearsals she told me "you're going go see some faking today." immediately after that rehearsal she went home and didn't come back. Her cancer came out of remission and she passed less than a week later. If I hadn't been so dumb and naive and knew what cancer actually was I imagine I could have persuade her to go home earlier in the day. Momma Leo was an amazing actor; regardless of how much pain she was feeling she wouldn't let anyone else know about it. When she said that to me I should have realized...

    Anyway, Mrs. Leopold left a big print on me; she was the essence of professionalism - even in high school. The grade of music and life that she could bring out of all her students was truly amazing, and the love and devotion that she as a teacher had to all of her many students was indescribable. For a person to be so devoted to their calling in life was a special lesson that I have also taken with me; there are many people who can give good advice; that woman lived good advice everyday of her life, and set a good example in everything she did, and every one of us who had a chance to work with her are that much better off for it.

I certainly would not be the person I am today if not for the influence of Eunice Leopold.

Bryan Bourne.

    Bryan Bourne was my first private trombone teacher. I studied with him periodically over about a 2 year period in high school; through him I was first exposed to the more mature/professional side of trombone playing, and launched into a new sort of adventure learning about the professional world of music, that I was previously completely ignorant of. Bryan was then and still is the principle trombone of the Presidents Own Marine Band.

    More than just musicianship, Bryan also set a good example of how one should conduct themselves in general life dealings, and set the standard for what I view as a professional music and the professional musician. Bryan was always respectful of everyone around him. I certainly couldn't have had a better mentor and teacher during that time in my life, and I certainly wouldn't be the trombone player I am now if not for him.

Milt Stevens

    I studied with Milt at U of Maryland - College Park for 3 and a half years from 2000 to 2003. With all of the people who have studied with him and then gone on to win jobs, the guy sure knew what he was doing. Milt had this way about him of making a person feeling empty and guilty for not practicing for a lesson, all by just smiling gently the way he always does. And his certain things he would say "You hear how, some of the notes aren't completely there?"... I guess one lesson I learned from him was really how to be purposeful, and saying the most with the least. You'd play a segment, and completely botch it, wrong notes here, missed articulations there, and all he'd do is look at you and say "why don't you try that again..." Milt was also able to look to the positive side of anything, the sort of guy who could make something good come from any bad situation. In lessons he never did or said anything negative, but was always positive and always encouraging.

    I guess it's hard to describe. But I'm really lucky to have had the influence of him in my life too. I was really planning on going back to MD after I got out of the military in 2009 to finish my degree; so many more things I wanted to learn from him. Milt was the guy, any piece you played, he had some sort of an inside story about it; either he had a special story about the composer, knew the composer personally, or had played the piece with the composer! The man had so much to offer, so much experience, so much wisdom.

    Sadly, Milt passed on July 30, 2007. It was really something that no one expected. There are some people that you expect to keep living forever, and you can't really picture life without them. I can't picture U of M without Milt, and indeed, there is going to be a big space left open in everything that milt touched. He surely left a mark on me. Many things that he taught, both trombone and personal dealings I'll take with me for the rest of my life.