1. What motivates you?

What motivates me is joy. Seeking joy in what I do, in others and in my interactions with the world. Without joy, life is a shell of what it can be. I seek to connect with people and learn as much as I can about them – where they are coming from, what their dreams are and how they want to go about achieving them.

2. What do you do for a living, and what do you love about it?

I am a high school band director. I also engage in music on many levels, as a performer, clinician, adjudicator, conductor and patron. Music is inherently joyful and is a great means of connecting with people. Almost every human being has found a meaningful connection with music in their lives, and I love using music as a baseline of connection.

3. Why are you excited to speak at TEDx?

I am excited for the opportunity to share some of my ideas and experiences with the community. It is a wonderful platform to share thoughts and ways to make the world a better place.

4. Which TED (or TEDx) talk do you think everyone should watch?

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5. What is your idea worth spreading?

Motivating people to excellence through nurturing the individual. I am passionately committed to the idea that people need to maintain a strong sense of excellence in their lives and strive to reach it every day. I am convinced that we can all work together to find inspire excellence and I want to explore and share ideas to achieve this goal.

6. What would you most want to tell your 20-year-old self?

Every person has a core of joy that makes them both vulnerable and powerful at the same time. We need to support people to feel comfortable enough to share that joyful core with the world. It is then that they will be able to fully give themselves to the world.