Jay’s parents provided him with a wide variety of music while he was growing up in Sherman Oaks, CA. His mom played classical music (referred to as ‘mommy music’) in the car while his father was a huge Barbra Streisand fan and played her songs constantly.

In 1981, MTV had hit the airwaves and Jay started watching videos.  He was fascinated with the bass players and wanted to learn cello. By the time he was old enough to start, the school string program had become a wind program. The trombone was the lowest instrument and looked more fun than the others, so that’s what he picked. He reckoned it had a certain “look at me” characteristic that fit his personality well.

After two plus decades of living in Los Angeles (including receiving his Bachelors of Music from Cal State, Northridge) Jay started a move east that led him all the way to the east coast. He stopped along the way to get his Masters from Indiana University, as well as teaching and freelancing in Chicago, IL. Since 2004, he has serving his country as a member of the U.S. Air Force Ceremonial Brass and Concert Band and he currently lives in Alexandria, VA with his wife and two sons. He started playing for the ASO in 2009.

While his day gig in the Concert Band keeps him pretty busy, he says that “winning the ASO audition helps me keep my love affair with orchestral music alive. It reminds me why I wanted to play the bass trombone in the first place and I look forward to each concert with great excitement!”

He was particularly excited to play The Miraculous Mandarin by Bela Bartók three seasons ago. “The piece opens with a very significant solo for my instrument. It was such a highlight to finally take it out of the practice room and put it on a stage for the first time! I felt the same way about Shostakovich’s Symphony #5 last season. Lots of practice time, but never in public… until now!”

Jay has eclectic musical tastes. Performers who inspire him include the progressive rock bands Yes, Dream Theater, echolyn, and Rush; classical groups such as the New Trombone Collective, Chanticleer, the Meridian Arts Ensemble, and a handful of orchestras that continue to amaze. His classical composer favorites are Mahler, Richard Strauss, Wagner, Brahms, Nielsen, Shostakovich, Bartók, and Zappa, but he says, “without the genius of J. S. Bach, none of those guys would be famous!”

He enjoys teaching immensely and loves to share his love of his instrument. In his spare time he likes to draw and sketch, run, juggle, find new recipes for his family, and he is constantly amused and amazed by his two sons.

Jay wonders, “How can music NOT be important to anyone? It creates the soundtracks to our lives. It adds flavor to a moment. It tells amazing stories – both fictional and historical. Music is living, breathing art.  It’s not just special, it’s necessary!”