Occupation: I am the owner/director of The Rock Elite Music Academy at our very own Edmond Town Hall. We have been open for a year and ten months. I absolutely love music and have dedicated my entire life to growing in all elements of musicianship. I've worked professionally in all facets of playing, performing, composing, teaching, arranging, and producing music. I also teach guitar at Trinity College in Hartford.

Family: My family tree goes back to Ridgefield in the early 1800s.

Pets: I have an African grey parrot named Sasha. She's almost 3 years old. We bonded when she was only 6 weeks old. This summer we are going to be doing harness flight training. We have our daily lesson on how to speak; this week I am teaching her how to say, "Sing it with me."

How long have you lived in Newtown? Nine years. I was drawn to Newtown, because even though I was commuting to Hartford daily, I wanted to stay in Fairfield County.

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to do a lot of volunteering in town. I am a Newtown Cultural Arts Commission member, the entertainment director of the Newtown Arts Festival, an officer for the Newtown Historical Society, an assistant to our town historian, and, of course, sing with the amazing, terrific, Newtown Choral Society.

Do you have a favorite book? Red Tails In Love by Marie Winn. It's the inspiring true story of the original pair of red tail hawks who, in the spring of 1992, built a large nest on a single high ledge of a building on New York City's Fifth Avenue.

What is your favorite travel destination? Florence, Italy. Several years ago, I traveled across Italy and took a six-week course in tracing the origins of the Renaissance period all the way to the High Level Renaissance period. We started in Perugia, went to Rome, Florence, Sienna, Assisi, and finished in Venice. These cities have such beautiful and inspiring artwork and architecture, and exceptional coffee. I am so drawn to Italy's artistic atmosphere and can't think of a better place to be inspired by the power of imagination, vision, creativity, and beauty.

What is the best part about Newtown? The people. We have so many kind, caring people here. A day doesn't go by without me seeing someone offering a kind gesture to another person in our community.

Who has been the greatest influence in your life? The artist Prince. He was a master musician of all instruments, a songwriter, choreographer, producer, vocalist, audio engineer, video producer, band leader, and dancer.

Nile Rodgers. I have spent my entire teenage and adult life studying his musical work. I have transcribed the notes and chords of his entire discography, from Chic to his work with other artists like Madonna, Diana Ross, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and David Bowie. Although I have had time talking with Nile, a full day would be exceptional.

If you could spend the day with one person, who would you choose and why?

I love all genres of music. After seeing the Venetian Symphony perform Antonia Vivaldi's

What is your favorite musical genre?Four Seasons in Venice, the actual location where it was originally written by the composer himself, it has become my favorite music work. I also really like Mozart's violin concertos.

When I was 19 years old, a friend told me about the concept of "let it begin with me." The idea is to stop waiting for someone else to do something that you might want or need to do, but to go ahead and just do it even if you are alone due to the fact that you are the first one doing it.

What is the greatest piece of advice you have ever been given?

What is something you cannot live without? Music. It's like oxygen for me. We need to breathe, eat, and drink. For me, that list needs to add playing and listening to music.

What is your proudest accomplishment? My proudest accomplishment is setting seven world records teaching and coaching music with kids. The first record was having the youngest kids as a band to ever perform the entire album The Dark Side of the Moon in quadrophonic sound, with video screen interaction and sound effects. Those events and memories are always in my heart and will be for the rest of my life.