I grew up in a musical family in Nampa, ID, some 20 miles west of Boise. My Mom played (and still plays) the piano, my Dad played trumpet, my elder brother played violin, and my eldest brother played the radio (sorry, Jeff!).  Needless to say, we always had music playing around the house, mostly Classical, Gospel, and Big Band styles, with the occasional 70s & 80s rock booming from my big brother's room!

I began piano lessons at the tender age of 7, and in Decemeber of that same year played my first offertory for church: "Silent Night" for the children's program. Many years later, my original arrangement of that same carol has been one of the most requested pieces I play during the Holiday season. By age 10, I remember being so fascinated with music itself, that I was transposing my (then) simple piano pieces into other keys! At age 14, I wrote my first song, based on a poem lifted out a book my grandparents let me bring home from their house. Later that same year, a girl at school told me she had some lyrics she had written, and by the end of that week, I had set them to music - my first collaboration!

My creative streak of composing both words & music lasted until I graduated from Nampa High School in 1988, and I shifted my energies more toward arranging hymns and religious songs into Classical-style piano arrangements. None of the piano books on the shelf at the music store were satisfying to me, so one day I sat at the piano and asked myself, "How would Bruce Mangum play this piece?" What emerged resulted in some challenging piano works, and a few recordings around 1990. Sample tracks from my 2001 CD, "My Father's World", and my newest recording "Hidden In Plain View" (2010), can be heard on the Music Samples link.

I went on to attend College of Idaho and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor's in Applied Piano. I then completed one year toward a Master's in Piano Performance at the University of Idaho.

During the summer of 1993, I traveled with the Celebrant Singers, an interdenominational Gospel group, as their keyboard player. The following year, I moved to Portland, OR, where served as musical director and accompanist for community theatre productions of RAGS, A TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN (for which I learned the entire score in one rehearsal!), I DO! I DO!, IRENE, and an original musical IN SMALL DOSES. I won Musical Director of the Year for my work in IRENE in 1997.

From 1999 to 2002, I joined up with Princess Cruise Lines as Atrium Pianist, and was able to see much of the world, including Mexico, the Caribbean, Alaska, the Mediterranean (which was FABULOUS! - I want to go back!), Hawaii and Tahiti. As much as I talk about my days on the ships, and how exciting they were, it was essentially life out of a suitcase, and I was anxious to get myself established on land.

I left the ships in 2003, and moved to Denver, CO, where I was the accompanist for the Denver Opera Company, and met my partner Dan Hodges at the Metropolitan Community Church of the Rockies.

In 2005, Dan and I - and our late Yorkie named Wolfie - moved to Palm Springs, CA, where I currently serve as Music Director of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Indio, plus accompany the Caballeros, the Gay Men's Chorus of Palm Springs.  Dan & I were officially married on November 1, 2008 - a mere 3 days before Proposition 8 was voted to overturn the California State legistlative ruling that allowed same-sex marriage since April '08. We were proud & pleased to be among the many couples in our State who took advantage this historic window of opportunity, and are so thankful for the support and love of the family & friends we had around us on our special day.

Two highlights for me during my tenure with the Caballeros has been (a) meeting and sharing the stage with Florence Henderson in our "Nominees" concert back in June of 2006; and (b) memorizing and performing as a full piano solo George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" for our "It Ain't Necessarily So" concert in April of 2007. I also attended the 2008 GALA Festival in Miami with them in July, and had a wonderfully memorable experience. Other upcoming performances are on my Events link, plus I invite you to come and worship any Sunday at Shepherd of the Valley UMC.

Thanks again for reading my webpage, and I look forward to hearing from you.