Artist's Statement: While I was at Goddard College, I took a summer break from studying ecology, medicinal herbs, sculpture and indigenous cultures and built my first frame drum and simultaneously discovered the ancient tradition of shamanism. I was inspired by discovering that the shaman, in traditional cultures, maintains physical, mental, and ecological health for the community often using musical instruments as tools for his/her work. While studying sculpture I found that building drums bridges the gap between form and function. Having discovered my bridge I began a full fledged study of frame drum building during my junior year. For my senior study I expanded my repertoire to barrel, ashiko, frame drums and experimental designs. To celebrate the completion of my study, I carved my first flute. My current work is a synthesis of the influences of ecology, shamanism, sculpture and woodworking. I use wood from all over. I buy exotic woods that are harvested in ecologically sensitive ways. When I was twelve I helped my father plant a bashofia tree on his property in Florida. Fifteen years later when the tree had to be taken down, I spent a week milling it into slabs with a chain saw. Now I use the wood from that tree to create wonderful instruments.

I  currently have  cherry, elm, maple and ash growing in VT and  6 or more types of tropical wood growing in Florida for future instruments or generations.