Music has been a part of my life since age 8 when I started taking piano lessons. For the ensuing 10 years I played competitively in Norfolk, Virginia, participating in numerous auditions, competitions, and recitals. During this time I attended music theory lessons taking periodic exams from the Progressive Series course, culminating in my attending a summer session in St. Louis (Clayton, MO) finalizing the 10 year course and obtaining a piano teaching certificate from the St. Louis Institute of Music. Before entering undergraduate school I presented a solo recital at the Norfolk Museum, later to be renamed Chrysler Museum. During my first year of college I performed a solo recital at Cabal Hall at the University of Virginia. After a 20 year hiatus in playing the piano I purchased a Steinway M series grand piano and began to play again, never quite regaining the dexterity and certainly not the memorization capabilities of before.