Early On
I grew up in western Michigan, just a short walk to Lake Michigan. I attended Interlochen and Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp and was able to tour Europe with the BLFAC International Youth Symphony. Those experiences helped prepare me for a lifetime in music. I am a proud graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music in Ann Arbor. GO BLUE!
Before spending 27 years with the Kansas City Symphony I performed as the principal trumpeter of the Michigan Opera Theater, Flint Symphony Orchestra, and Des Moines Metro Opera.
Importance of Life-long Education
I had wonderful mentors in college and throughout my career. I began to teach early on and found it fulfilling to help students realize their potential. Even with a full-time orchestra job I felt it was important to give back to aspiring musicians as my mentors did with me.
Some of my favorite summers were spent at Tanglewood as a TMC fellow working with Leonard Bernstein, Seji Ozawa and other wonderful conductors, soloists and colleagues.
Chamber Music and Recording
Chamber music is one of the most rewarding experiences a musician can have.
Here are two tracks from recordings with the Galliard Brass Ensemble as a long-time member:
Galliard Brass Ensemble: A Festival Of Brass And Organ
March Triomphale du Centenaire de Napoleon I, Op. 46 Galliard Brass Ensemble
Before moving to Kansas City I had a unique opportunity to record concertos of Fasch, Haydn and Telemann. Here are three tracks from that recording:
My wife and I won auditions to join the Kansas City Symphony in the same week in 1995. In addition to performing I continued to serve others off-stage as I had in Michigan. I chaired each Musicians’ negotiation committee from 1997-2020 and also served as the first chair of the KCS 403(b) Retirement Committee. I was a long-time member of the KCS Board of Trustees and Finance Committee as well as co-chair of the 1998 Strategic Plan Task Force, which created collaborative and cooperative governance structures that remain today and are unique within the orchestra industry.
I became a delegate to the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians in 1999 and became its president in 2002. In 2015 I was honored to receive the title of president emeritus from ICSOM.
I continue to serve as a trustee of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund and am presently co-chair of the Investment Committee.
Why Did I Become a Financial Advisor?
My journey into financial planning started many years ago when colleagues approached me with questions about their healthcare, retirement, and other benefit plans.
I found that as much as I enjoyed being an orchestral performer, I also enjoyed helping professional musicians achieve a better life for themselves and their families. Over the years I answered thousands of calls and messages from colleagues around the country. What made those fulfilling was being able to find creative solutions to their questions and concerns.
After a bout of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) in 2012, I developed a condition known as cochlear Ménière's. By early 2020 I realized that my performing days might soon be over.
Where could I combine my experience of serving and working with musicians alongside my passion for investing, financial literacy, and retirement planning?
The answer became clear as I began CFP® Certification Professional Education Program classes. I was hooked and it was just a matter of time before Artisan Financial Planning LLC was created to bring accessible financial advice to professional musicians one client household at a time.