Brian has many years of teaching and performance experience.  He enjoys teaching a variety of styles in his lessons, incorporating jazz and popular music in lessons where appropriate and according to the interest of students.  He is familiar with a wide variety of brass repertoire, having performed and coached extensively.  He teaches trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, euphonium, and tuba.

A typical lesson with Brian includes embouchure and technical work, then proceeds to repertoire.  He enjoys teaching both popular and classical music in his lessons.  He encourages students to test the limits of their abilities, but also knows that patience is a very important trait in a teacher.

Brian studied music performance at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities.  He studied with former Minnesota Orchestra members Max Bonecutter, David Herring, and Ron Ricketts.  He has enjoyed playing with some of his former teachers and other Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra members while freelancing.  Several of his former students have gone on to become professional musicians.

Orchestras and bands that Brian has performed with include the Minnesota Opera, Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, Minneapolis Pops, Wayzata Symphony Orchestra, and Cedar Avenue Big Band, among others.  He has performed at Orchestra Hall, the Ordway, Northrop Auditorium, First Avenue, Fine Line, and the Dakota. He has enjoyed playing with such musicians as David Byrne, Harry Connick, Jr., Manfredo Fest, and Tony Orlando.  He performed while traveling in Europe and South America.  He now performs regularly with several jazz groups in the Twin Cities area, among them Yojimbo Jazz, which released a commercial CD last year.

Brian currently teaches at Normandale Community College in Bloomington and K&S Conservatory of Music in Woodbury in addition to teaching at David Thomas School of Music.

In his spare time, Brian enjoys cooking, traveling, and disc golf.