My Ph.D. is in musicology and my Masters degree has a dual focus in musicology and music theory. My specialty as a musicologist is American music, particularly folk and popular musics. While my degrees are in traditional western musicology, I have naturally moved toward a more ethnomusicological viewpoint, one which looks at music not only as sound patterns or great works, but as a cultural activity through which everyday people create and express identity and values, on both individual and group levels.
As a performing musician, my primary instrument is the pedal steel guitar, a challenging but wonderfully expressive instrument. I play out regularly with my own instrumental quartet, Standard Deviations, and am active as a freelance steel guitarist doing gigs and studio work in the greater Boulder-Denver area.
Outside of music, I am a mountain dweller (a Nedhead!) and love outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, camping, cross country skiing, and trail running. I also enjoy woodworking, home creation, and being a family guy. At heart, I am a folky and a humanist.
