ARTIST STATEMENT

 

My work with the language of typography and design is strikingly similar to my work with the language of music. Over the past decade, I have watched my work in sound and graphic design continue to merge and overlap. One medium inspires the other and in turn is inspired by influences and experiences in my life. Leonard Bernstein said, “The best way to ‘know' a thing is in the context of another discipline.” The basic unit of sound is a tone, which can be related to a pixel or point on the ‘canvas.' Each tone exists at a specific position within a composition, and like a letterform, the tone interacts with the space in a figure/ground relationship. The tension and release that is created defines the meaning and value of the piece.

My career as a teacher and performer—in music as well as design—provides both a good model for my students, and a valuable artistic outlet for me. In the classroom I aim to create an environment where students learn to harness their creativity to produce solid design concepts, and through practical experience, discover the rigors and realities of the design field. Learning is a lifelong endeavor and teaching is the catalyst.