When serving as a ward and stake choir director, I was constantly searching for music that was cheap yet of a quality that would be good enough to feel comfortable performing. Often a church choir director is "left unto themselves" with little to no budget to work with. This means endless digging and sifting through the stake music closet (which is often similar to snipe hunting), singing things directly from the hymnal (which can get boring), or spending countless hours on the internet hunting for individual websites and then sifting through hundreds of potential songs.

My goal is to eliminate a significant portion of that sorting process for you by providing links to a host of different LDS music sites, giving you the ability to rate each site, and provide feedback on the music that you found. I will also be providing resources that will include "how to's" on anything from how to organize your ward choir to how to feel the Spirit in your rehearsals to how to become a better conductor.

In addition, I am providing workshops and inspirational firesides to further my mission as the Ward Choir Guy.

I started participating in ward choir when I was still in primary. I remember I started in the alto section. Those experiences coupled with seemingly never-ending piano lessons were really the start of my musical journey.

My first official calling into LDS church music was that of ward choir pianist. I was 16 if my memory serves me correctly. My next call was to be the ward choir director of a ward I was serving in on my mission. I had just completed an arrangement of O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and the ward wanted to give it a go. In that same ward, I also served as a substitute Ward Organist. In other words, if no one showed up that day that could play, it was up to me to fix it.

When I returned home from my mission in Indiana, I was immediately called as the ward choir director in that same home ward that I had started in as a little alto. From then to this day I have almost always been serving in some capacity in the Church music auxiliary. I have organized, rehearsed and conducted various choirs ranging from a dozen to nearly a hundred. I like to minimize the impact on choir members' time and have been known to tackle pieces such as Wilberg's "Come Thou Fount" in six rehearsals. One of my passions is infusing testimony and the power of the Spirit into those rehearsals. When the choir has one of those "moments" where everything falls together, I like to make sure that God's hand is recognized as the source.

I currently serve as the first counselor in the Young Men's Presidency of our ward and I am unofficially serving as the priesthood pianist. It is the first time in a great many years that I can remember being without a music calling in the ward.

In the way of formal training, I attended SLCC and earned an AS/Music degree I began pursuing my Choral Ed degree at the U but was sidetracked by my growing piano restoration business I had built to put me through college. I later finished my Business Administration degree to aid in growing my existing business. When the economy took a downward turn we closed up shop and made some adjustments to our family finances. I now tune pianos and find conducting gigs wherever I can.

I am currently the director of the Herriman Community Chorus and a member of the Herriman Arts Council. I find that it is a great way to give back to my community that helps shape my family's lives.

I love to arrange hymns and primary songs and also compose a little as well. But, my real passion is choral conducting. I like to use techniques that break out of the traditional to pull the very most out of each individual in the choir. My wife and four kids will always be my number one hobby but music will always be a close number two muse.