About
I’m a songwriter with NSAI in Nashville, but my path here didn’t start in music. I started out working with my hands. Growing up in a family construction business, put into the trades at an early age. From about age 14 into my 30s, I did carpentry along with being a middle school teacher and football coach. Those years taught me a lot about hard work, discipline, and the kind of people I still relate to today. From there, I spent most of my career in education—starting as a teacher, then principal, and eventually serving as a superintendent in several school districts across Illinois. I worked in places like Genoa-Kingston, Tuscola, and Saunemin, and those years gave me a deeper understanding of people, leadership, and community. That connection to blue-collar life has never really left me—it’s a big part of who I am and what I write about. Songwriting came later for me, but it’s become a way to tell stories I’ve seen and lived. Most of what I write (110 or so songs) comes from real life—work, relationships, choices, and figuring out what actually matters. I try to keep it honest and straightforward, and write songs people can see themselves in.