Q: Can you tell us a bit about yourself and how your childhood impacted your direction
A: I grew up in a household filled with both music and storytelling. My father was a music director in San Antonio and Austin in the 1920s, so I was surrounded by instruments, rehearsals, and a sense that music was a vital part of life. As a kid, I was equally drawn to sound and to drawing. That early blend shaped me — I never saw a hard line between art forms, and I think that openness gave me the freedom to pursue both jazz and visual art later in life.
Q: “Sax Solo” has been chosen for The Big Show 2025. Can you tell us the story behind this piece and what inspired it?
A: “Sax Solo” came out of listening deeply to the voices of saxophonists I’ve worked with. I wanted to capture that instant when a soloist leans in — the phrasing, the push of air, the human voice inside the horn. The painting is big because a sax solo feels big. It was chosen for The Big Show 2025, and I love that it’s being experienced not just as music inspired art, but as a visual improvisation in its own right.
Q: How do you approach blending music and visual art together in your work?
A: For me, the process begins with listening. I hear rhythms, intervals, and tonal colors, and then I try to translate those into brush strokes, shapes, and palettes. Sometimes I’ll sketch while listening to a track, or I’ll return to a painting after performing. The two practices feed each other — the canvas becomes a score, and the music becomes an image.
Q: Do you find your process as a painter similar to your process as a composer, or do they feel completely different?
A: They’re more similar than I ever expected. In both, you start with structure — a form, a key, a canvas — and then you let intuition take over. In composition, I might build around a motif; in painting, I might return to a color or gesture. Both require balancing discipline with spontaneity.
Q: Jazz is built on improvisation — how does that improvisatory spirit show up in your paintings?
A: I rarely sketch everything out in advance. I like to begin with a loose idea and then let the painting surprise me. Improvisation is about trust — trusting your ear, your hand, and your instincts. In paint, just as in jazz, I’ll take risks, step away from the expected, and see what emerges.
Q: What does it mean for you personally to be part of The Big Show 2025 exhibition?
A: It’s an honor. The Big Show has such a strong reputation for celebrating diverse voices in contemporary art. To have “Sax Solo” included feels like validation that the dialogue between music and visual art matters — not just to me, but to a wider community of artists and audiences.
Q: After more than 25 years of teaching and performing, how has your perspective on creativity evolved?
A: I’ve learned that creativity isn’t a lightning bolt; it’s a practice. Early on, I thought inspiration had to come first. Now I know that if you show up — at the piano, at the canvas — creativity follows. Teaching has also reminded me that everyone’s creative journey is unique. Guiding students through their own discoveries has kept me curious and open.
Q: What role does the audience play in your art — do you think about how people might hear your paintings or see your music?
A: Absolutely. Jazz is a conversation, and so is visual art. I think about resonance — how a viewer might hear rhythm in the lines of a painting, or how a listener might see color in the sound of a chord. The audience completes the work; their response turns a private act of creation into a shared experience.
Q: What is your advice for people interested in pursuing music as a career or for those trying to enter the industry?
A: Be versatile, be persistent, and be authentic. Learn the tradition, but don’t be afraid to bring your own story into the music. Surround yourself with mentors and peers who challenge you. And remember that a career in music is not a straight line — it’s built from many small opportunities, each one teaching you something new.
Q: Looking forward, are there new projects or collaborations where you’ll continue mixing jazz and visual art?
A: Yes — I’m developing a project called Seeing Sound / Hearing Color, which integrates original jazz compositions with a series of large-scale abstract paintings. My ensemble Double Vision will perform these works while the paintings are exhibited, creating an immersive experience. It’s the next step in exploring how sound and image can inspire each other.
