God has provided for and guided us in many unusual ways and continues to make a rewarding path for us. After growing up in northern Illinois, I attended Wheaton College (Bachelor of Music) and then Indiana University Bloomington (Master of Music). My wife, Jules, and I began our careers as professional opera singers touring across the world. Singing career highlights include solo recitals at Carnegie Hall, a WTVP PBS Special entitled “The American Songbook,” a world premiere with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, a tour of South Korea with the Far East Broadcasting Company, as cruise entertainment on the Rhine River, and many other performances.

In God’s providence, we moved sight unseen to Karawaci, Indonesia, from downtown Chicago to become full-time professors at the Universitas Pelita Harapan, a Christian university in the reformed tradition. There, I was Coordinator of Choir and Classical Voice while Jules was Coordinator of Contemporary Voice. After UPH, we returned Stateside and both received our Doctor of Musical Arts degrees from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro while also teaching at UNCG and several universities in Virginia and North Carolina. During doctoral studies, I enlisted with the 208^th Army Reserve Band out of Concord, North Carolina, and continue to serve as an Army trumpeter/vocalist, Education Benefits Liaison, Duty Appointed Retention NCO, and Recruitment Liaison. It is an honor to serve our nation.

Following our time in North Carolina, we moved to Chattanooga, Tennessee, to both join the music faculty at Lee University where I continue to teach part-time for Lee Online. As the university faced steep budget cuts, we were met with difficult decisions. After living far from family our entire marriage, it was time to move home. Jules is from Deming, Washington, and her entire family lives in Whatcom County. Her roots in the area date back to the 1880’s. Coincidentally, my Dad is a Bellingham High School alumnus and my Grandfather was senior pastor at Northwest Baptist Church back in the 1960’s. God certainly has a sense of humor, and it is His providence that has brought us back to Washington.

Since January of 2023, I have served at Lynden Christian School as Choir Director. I am also a Master of Arts in Teaching with WA licensure candidate at Central Washington University. Jules runs a music studio out of our home in Lynden. We attend Second Christian Reformed Church and enjoy spending as much time raising our daughter Freya as possible. We are avid hikers, campers, and kayakers, and enjoy God’s handiwork whenever possible.

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43: 18-19