Playing for Passion
Since I picked up the guitar at age 12, there hasn’t been a day I haven’t wanted to play. There is so much self-expression to be found in the instrument that words cannot convey, and yet it allows one to speak. As Jimmy Page once said, “I believe every guitar player inherently has something unique about their playing. They just have to identify what makes them different and develop it.”
When I was younger, I spent extensive time studying classic rock, with some of my favorite players being the aforementioned Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Duane Allman, and Eddie Van Halen. The energy of all these players kept me eager to learn and get better at my instrument during my formative years, and they all continue to inspire me today. My familiarity with these players’ styles and their catalogues has helped define who I am as a guitar player and musician.
When I started studying at Berklee College of Music, I became captivated by learning slide guitar while studying with Rich Hinman, and I enjoyed surrounding myself with the works of Ry Cooder and Lowell George. The roots genre these players reside in appealed to me due to their relaxing and methodical nature, which helped me slow down my guitar playing. Also, during my time at Berklee, I became thrilled with the styles of Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck, thanks to the labs offered by the world-renowned guitar department and specifically Julien Kasper, the professor for these two courses. The free-spirited energy, but also the intensity and musicality these two players gifted us with, kept me in the practice rooms my first two years!
Band Experience
In my hometown of Wilmington, North Carolina, I co-founded indie rock band RuKus at age 15 with drummer Trevor Richards and vocalist Mason Mackinnon. Together, we’d play over 50 shows over the course of the next 3 years, including a performance at Greenfield Lake Amphitheatre in April of 2024 to celebrate Altzalea Festival, a weekend-long celebration for the Azalea Festival, which is a city-wide celebration. The band self-recorded and produced two full-length albums, titled “What’d You Wish For?” and “The After Party”. My songwriting and guitar work are on full display throughout both of these albums, with standout performances on “Luck Come My Way” and “Sunburnt Soles”. RuKus also conceived and has continued to annually host Port City Rock Jam, a non-profit charity festival that occurs every year, the first weekend in August. This year, 2026, PCRJ will celebrate its fourth year straight in succession.
In 2023, during my first week at Berklee College of Music, I met Singer-Songwriter Ollie Gullick, who invited me to join his newly forming band, which I would aptly name “The Lads”, due to his native country being England. Together, Ollie Gullick and The Lads would do over 40 shows in the New England area in three years, with two standout performances at the Berklee Caf, a sold-out show at The Middle East, and, most recently, opening for Red Rum Club for 3 nights in Boston, Philadelphia, and Brooklyn. I have also been featured on both EPs released by Ollie Gullick, titled “Forget About Me” and “Front Room”. My standout performances come on singles “Sushi!” and “The Cross”.
Ready to Jam Together?
Pop your details below and let's craft sounds you—and your fans—will love!