Rivers, By Joel Kibble "Let Me Fix It"

Let Me Fix It

My daughter loves to do crafts.  There seem to be few joys that are more inviting than grabbing some craft paper, glue, tape and sparkles and going to town on a new creation.  I will often find projects that she’s been working on and I’m amazed that she could come up with such ideas.  Well, the other day I found something that my daughter had left in the study that made me think.  While she was at her mother’s house, I came into the study and found the turquoise blue toothbrush holder that should have been in the bathroom sitting on her worktable.  She apparently had dropped and broken the top that holds the toothbrushes, as it was separated from the shaft that held it.  She had applied scotch tape to reconnect the top to the shaft, but the tape had failed to hold the large piece in place and there it was, partially hanging to the side in an awkward fashion.

At first I thought to reprimand her for not telling me about the broken toothbrush holder, reasoning that she had attempted to keep this a secret from me.  We’ve had a few conversations in the past about keeping secrets to hide mistakes.  In fact, I did recall hearing an object strike the floor the day before, but I was preoccupied with something else and didn’t follow up on the noise.  Her ensuing silence should have been an indicator that something was up, and this was it!  But then I thought about what she might have been feeling that caused her to decide to try to fix it herself.  

I reflected on my childhood.  How many times had I broken my father’s objects and tried to hide them, only to be found out and reprimanded hours, or even days later?  How many times had I been suddenly called in from playing with my friends to answer for some mistake I had hoped would never resurface again? A broken trophy? A scratched record?  A chewed up cassette still tangled in the tape recorder?  (Um, Am I dating myself?)  The lumpy throw rug in the living room of my father’s house would betray the many lists of items I’ve broken and brushed up under that rug, hoping never to be found.  So I could easily imagine what she might have been feeling in her effort to conceal her mistakes.    

As I stood in the door contemplating, I also thought that this might have been the reason why I’ve had such low tolerance for her decision to hide things from me. I see it in her because I see it in myself.  My desire to hide my brokenness causes me to learn to lie and to place the blame on other people.  It’s all too familiar to me and it comes from my desire to hide what’s broken in my life.  
My heart went out to my daughter when I thought about the little bit of stress she might have been going through that caused her to try to fix it herself.  But I didn’t need her to fix it.  I would happily have done it for her.  As I super glued the two pieces together, I longed to tell Karly that I found her mistake and that she didn’t need to hide it from me.  Things break.  We all make mistakes, but I wanted her to come to me about it instead of trying to conceal it and fix it herself.  Her desire came from an honest place, but I longed to give her the possible peace of mind that I didn’t hold her foible against her.  
So maybe this is how God thinks about us.  He knows we make mistakes and He sees how we’ve screwed up.  He knows we can’t fix what’s really wrong in our lives, and never expected us to do so by ourselves.  So maybe He looks at our pitiful patchwork and has the same tender regard for us.  He longs to relieve our stress and release us from the guilt we’ve been carrying.  Let Him have it.  Let Him fix it.

Joel Kibble is a world renowned dynamic motivational speaker, singer, songwriter, 
producer and member of the ten time Grammy Award winning group Take 6.


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RIVERS, by Joel Kibble

Fire!

I have a close friend who shared with me about a catastrophe that he’s experienced recently.  He had a mechanic come over to his house to change a fuel pump in his truck.  In order to accomplish this, the mechanic needed to remove the fuel tank to get to the pump and replace it, then replace the fuel tank.  My friend asked the mechanic if he needed to pull the truck out of his garage to do this, and the mechanic replied that it wasn’t necessary.  He would be able to do all that he needed to do from inside my friend’s garage.
The mechanic had removed the tank, replaced the pump and was reinstalling the fuel tank and almost had it on when suddenly everything caught fire.  In seconds, the garage was engulfed in flames as the situation rapidly descended into chaos.  The mechanic and his assistant whose clothes also caught fire escaped with their lives and miraculously weren’t burned.  The truck was totally destroyed, as was the garage.  The fire hadn’t reached the rest of the house, but the house was lost to smoke damage, and when the fire department arrived, by protocol, all the windows in the house needed to be smashed out to keep the fire from consuming the structure of the house.  The rest of the house also sustained water damage, which rendered it completely unlivable.  In a matter of seconds, everything my friend owned was damaged.  
Blessings? Absolutely.  I won’t go into the fact that he, his wife, his mother-in-law, and his children were all away from home on this particular day, and that most of the rooms they usually occupy were closest to the garage.  That’s another testimony.  What intrigued me was what the fire marshal stated as the most likely possibility for the start of the fire.  While the mechanic otherwise appeared to have known what he was doing, it was determined that the garage wasn’t a sufficiently ventilated area, even with garage doors wide open.  The mechanic and his assistant had been working and had become familiar and unmindful of the trapped gasoline fumes that had surrounded them.  From a most unlikely source, a spark had ignited the trapped fumes.  Positioned in the garage was a refrigerator whose motor had automatically turned on, producing a spark sufficient to ignite the fumes, setting the truck and the garage on fire.
For some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking of this fact, even though my friend went on to testify to the goodness of God in restoring what the fire had taken. The unfortunate events ironically strengthened his relationship to his wife and gave him a greater sense of the blessedness of life and its value.
Meditating over this event during the next couple of days, it became clear to me.  “Joey, you have been praying for more and more of the Holy Ghost’s fire and It’s presence in your life, but like the mechanic, there have been some potentially dangerous, surrounding conditions that you haven’t been mindful of or seriously considered.”  

Though he was able to do the job and had undoubtedly done it many times before, the mechanic had become familiar in his skills and had neglected basic fundamental rules.  He shouldn’t have been working in an unfamiliar environment with major potentially hazardous appliances. He should have chosen a well-ventilated environment, such as a properly equipped, professional auto-mechanic garage.  He had good intentions, but they were not sufficient to substitute for obedience to general rules of safety.

In the book of 2 Samuel 6, there was a story in the Bible about God’s people becoming equally careless of their environment.  David wanted to bring the ark of God back into the camp of Israel after they had become lackadaisical with the symbol of God’s abiding presence.  Their enemies, the Philistines, had snatched the ark from the Israelites, which had become nothing more than a glorified charm to them.  While the ark itself did nothing as far as victory for the Israelites, it desecrated the Philistine’s land and itself became a catastrophe wherever it was placed while in their possession.  In desperation, the Philistines put the symbol of God’s presence on a cart led by cattle and turned it loose, figuring that if the cattle miraculously pulled it out of their land and took it, unguided, back to the land of Israel, it must be the result of divine providence.  
King David had good intentions of putting the ark back where it belonged, but He and his priestly leaders had become familiar with disregarding what God had asked.  According to the book, Patriarchs and Prophets, when Uzzah the high priest stretched out his hand to steady the ark that was being carried on a cart back to Israel and was killed for touching it, there were three reasons.  One, Israel had become used to sin and disregarded God in a number of areas, which was how the ark got stolen in the first place.   Israel didn’t follow His express commands and had fallen out of vital communion with Him, yet decided to bring the symbol of His present out to wave it around in front of their enemies as if it had intrinsic power apart from God Himself.  

Two, God wanted it transported in a particular manner that He spelled out to the priests.  The ark had loops in which staves were inserted and it was to be “borne,” or carried on the priests shoulders, not on a cart. (Ex. 25:14) Uzzah, as a priest of the Lord, should have remembered that, but he didn’t think it deep what God had said about how it should be carried.  “God should be happy enough that we’re simply bringing it back,” he might have thought.  

Three, Uzzah was saturated with unconfessed sin in his life and presumed to approach the symbol of the Almighty and touch that which is holy to God.  The only time a priest even entered into the immediate presence of God was when the high priest entered the most holy place, once a year, to atone for the sins of the Israelites, and that only after the fasting and prayer of the entire nation to make sure all sins were confessed to God and forgiven by Him before coming into His Holy presence.  But priest and people had become so familiar with disregarding God and what He wanted that they and Uzzah felt comfortable in doing what seemed a well-intended task, and doing it their way.  So God dealt with him, and spared all of Israel in mercy to show them He meant business.  
 
As I listened to the details about how the fire started, the Lord made it clear to me that lately, I’ve been praying for more and more of the fire of the Holy Ghost.  That prayer has become routine, really, but I’ve grown immune to the sense of what it means to be fully inhabited by the Holy Spirit.  There are impure habits and practices that I’ve kept active as “back pocket sins,” and I’ve actually come to believe that God is okay with them and it doesn’t matter to Him that I retain them in my life.  “Why, He’s used me in such powerful ways in the past, and besides, lightening hasn’t struck me so far!”  Ps. 32:1 says, “Blessed is the man…whose sin is covered.” I’ve become comfortable moving about before the presence of God with open sin in my life, not considering how much He abhors sin or how He goes to great lengths to separate me from it by having His own innocent Son die for “my” disobedience, and not realizing that to sin, His very presence is a “consuming fire.” (Heb. 12:29) Yes, He wants to inhabit me and fill me with more of His abiding presence, but my nonchalant attitude toward my sins hovers around me like trapped gasoline fumes waiting to be ignited.  In addition, even though God loves to give mercy, good intentions are not a substitute for obedience.
David and the rest of Israel were spared despite the damages; the mechanic and his assistant were spared despite the damages; I have been spared despite the damages, and all because God wants me to get it right.  “…For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1Tim. 2:3,4)

Joel Kibble is a world renowned dynamic motivational speaker, singer, songwriter, 
producer and member of the ten time Grammy Award winning group Take 6.

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The Doctor is In! - Take Your Burden To the Lord

Take Your Burden To the Lord and Leave It There

       My brother Brandon holds degrees in engineering from the University of Michigan and recently sent me an email about computer engineering. It said that the software engineers who understand how the computer works are called homo logicus. The typical user, like me, is unconcerned about the inner workings of the computer. As long as it makes my work more efficient I don’t need to know HOW such things as “copying,” “cutting,” “pasting,” “deleting,” etc. work. It’s only a problem when, for whatever reason, my computer stops working properly.

       To alleviate my pain as user and eliminate the disconnect between me and homo logicus, another set of people is needed to bridge the gap. These engineers need skills not only in observing human behavior and creating human-centered designs, but also of empathy, sympathy, and compassion. At Menlo Innovations they give these engineers a special name: High-Tech Anthropologists.®

       What a perfect metaphor for my relationship with God! He is the homo logicus who understands how I work inside and out. This is a “logical” (logicus) assumption since God created man. Since His power is absolute and His wisdom infinite, He knows exactly what makes me tick. But when man sinned, he became alienated from the Creator and needed a high-tech anthropologist to bridge the gap; someone who could have empathy, sympathy, and compassion.
       Enter God’s Son Jesus the God-man! He left His throne in glory to become human like me; to bridge the lacuna. One of my favorite writers says that while on earth “Jesus calmed angry waves, walked on foam-capped billows, made demons tremble and disease flee, opened blind eyes and called forth the dead to life. And as the sin-bearer He endured the wrath of divine justice and for my sake became sin itself.” In other words, Jesus is my high-tech anthropologist! Hallelujah!
       And he continues to bridge the gap for me. For the apostle Paul said, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Heb. 4:15


One of the verses from a Charles Tindley hymn also resonates:

If your body suffers pain and your health you can’t regain

And your soul is almost sinking in despair,

Jesus knows the pain you feel, He can save and He can heal;

Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Cedric Dent is a baritone vocalist in Take 6 and an accomplished producer and music arranger. Dr. Dent is a professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University. He studied at the University of Michigan (B.M., Vocal Music Education), University of Alabama (M.M., Music Theory/Arranging), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D., Music Theory).

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The Doctor is In! - Inspirations, Pt. 2

Inspirations, Pt. 2

Here is the second and final installment (for now) of just some of the great artists who inspire me. I’ll revisit this topic in the future since there are so many that have inspired me.

Kirk Whalum

Whenever I’m in Kirk’s presence I sense that he has just been with God. He is one of my favorite sax players and one of the most sincere Christians that I know. It comes through in his music whether he’s playing religious or secular music. I once shared an appearance with Kirk at an elementary school’s career day in Nashville, TN. He performed, talked, and read scripture to the kids. Along the way he mentioned that though he’s an accomplished musician, he still practices his horn several hours a day because he wants to be sure that he’s always giving God his best. He’s anointed!

Jason Max Ferdinand
I’m inspired by Jason’s work ethic. Among other roles, he is the director of the legendary Oakwood University Aeolians! I’ve watched him conduct a two-hour choral performance with no sheet music in front of him and never missing a cue. He does his homework! I’ll be directing the vocal jazz ensemble at MTSU this fall. Since this will be my first time directing a student ensemble, I asked Jason for some conducting advice. Specifically, I asked, “how much music should I anticipate teaching in the first semester”? His answer says a lot about his dedication to preparation. He offered more than one approach. One way is to add up the number of minutes of rehearsal time for the entire semester and divide the total by the approximate time that it might take to learn one piece of music. That will yield the approximate number of pieces that the choir will be able to learn in a given semester. Whew! I love the way he thinks!

Russell Ferrante
As a pianist myself, how could I not be inspired by this innately gifted keyboardist and jazz composer/arranger? He is a founding member of the Yellowjackets—the modern jazz quartet of the 21st century! And like everyone else on this list, he is always well prepared for the musical task at hand. As an example, he, along with David Thomas and myself, co-arranged “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” on TAKE 6’s first Christmas recording, “He Is Christmas” (released in 1991). I will never forget him saying at the recording session that in preparation for the musical arrangement and recording session, he listened to 20 – 25 different recordings of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Impressive to say the least!

David Foster
David is one of the most intuitive musicians I’ve worked with. I had the honor of co-writing with David for TAKE 6’s “Join the Band” CD (released in 1994). To say that I learned a lot from this genius is an understatement. I learned so much about composing, arranging, recording, and mixing a pop tune. But what inspires me most about David is how acutely aware he is of his strengths and weaknesses as a musician. His transparency in this area only adds to his greatness. He is one of the most gifted composers of the popular ballad. But ask him to pen a blistering up-tempo dance tune, and he is quick to tell you that that is not his thing. Seeing this quality in David was liberating for me. I’m now more comfortable in accepting my own weaknesses while maintaining a positive self-image. Thank you David!

Cedric Dent is a baritone vocalist in Take 6 and an accomplished producer and music arranger. Dr. Dent is a professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University. He studied at the University of Michigan (B.M., Vocal Music Education), University of Alabama (M.M., Music Theory/Arranging), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D., Music Theory).

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RIVERS: "Letting Go"

Letting Go

Many times, for birthday celebrations and special occasions, I will buy balloons.  They might come in different shapes, colors and sizes, but it just seems that balloons seal the deal with little kids.  On Valentine’s Day I brought home two balloons that screamed the occasion, and for the moment, my daughter was elated.

I even got the “Happy Valentine’s Day” balloon with the sound chip that balloons can come equipped with now.  It was a bit inappropriate, in that it played “You’re Still the One” by Orleans, but it conveyed my love for my daughter.  As I drove home with it, any little bump in the road would set off the sound chip, and anyone near had to endure the whole chorus of the song.

Valentine’s Day was great and as it passed, the balloons served as reminders of the wonderful evening we had together.  My daughter and I have this little tradition, though.  Cards get shaken for the money they hold and they get tossed.  Sweets get consumed, and toys get played with and balloons only have a couple of choices.  They pop or they deflate until they are thrown away.  Well, Karly and I have decided that we will release them and let them go.

How it became and tradition, I don’t know.  Maybe we just wanted to see how far they would float if we turned them loose.  Maybe I just didn’t want stray balloons left in my bedroom, startling me in the night by ominously looming over my head as I turn over.  But we just decided that it would be more interesting to release them into the wild blue sky, to whatever side of God’s closet balloons go to.  I don’t know, there’s just something about releasing them while they still have helium in them, while they can still rise that makes you feel you’re doing something profitable in the balloon-world for their inhabitants.  Some people collect the remnants and put them in a scrapbook, some take special pleasure in popping them, we let them go.

So, about a week later, when we were good and sick of hearing “Still the One,” when the balloons were meandering in the kitchen in a sad, melancholy way, we took them out to the back porch.  The sky was gray and it was a bit chilly with a slight, steady wind to our backs.  After we said our goodbyes to our one-time friends, we held them up to let them go.  The first balloon with the sound chip had the most helium.  We tapped it one good time to finally rid ourselves of the obnoxious song and turned it loose!  Wouldn’t you know it, as it rose into the air, and the song faded into the altitude, we thought we would be happy to be rid of it, but something about straining to hear the lyrics for the last time caused us, or at least me, to really take note.  The lyrics rang, “Still the one, that makes me shout. Still the one that I dream about.  We’re still havin’ fun, and you’re still the one.”

Higher and higher it rose, over the trees, over the highway, out of our neighborhood, until it diminished into a dot that we couldn’t make out anymore.  “I must be trippin,” I thought.  “I’m getting all sad over this silly balloon!” But the song was etched into my brain.

The second balloon was simpler in its written message, “I Love You” and much more plain looking.  It was more deflated, and for a second, as it hung close by just over our heads, we didn’t think it would make it into the wild.  But after a minute or so, and with some help from a gust of wind, it rose as well, and as though it lingered a little longer to say goodbye, it was finally taken by the current, and it was gone.  We waved to it, and as we did, I was sort of amazed at how I could become so attached to inanimate objects.

I began to think about why I was giving these balloons so much personality and emotion.  I realized that I’m at a point in my life where I need to let go of some things.  Sometimes I hold on to ideas, philosophies, memories, jobs and other things that have begun to droop and sag like those balloons.  My personality is such that I will hang on to these memories, songs, experiences, especially negative ones, and find myself refilling them with air to keep them around and strong, when they need to be released and let go.

Not only do I find that I hang on, but as life goes by, they build up and clutter my living space.  I have closets packed solid with clothes that I’ve not worn in years and will never wear again.  Even if I could fit them, they are out of style and finished.  I have drawers filled with trinkets that I would never use, wires that don’t fit any mechanism I have and pens that stopped writing years ago.  They take up space, and I can’t fit anything new into these drawers, but I’m holding on to the junk like it will be worth money someday.

In the recent few weeks, I’ve heard a few stories of older people finally passing away after long battles with disease and the effects of old age, and it makes me really think about why it’s never an option to let them go.  I always pray that God wouldn’t let them sleep until they have accomplished their work, but when they’ve made peace with God, why don’t I want to let them sleep?  Why won’t my life continue to grow and deepen in meaning after they have been laid to rest?  How do I know that my dogs won’t be a more wonderful blessing to someone else that needs companionship?  How do I know that cleaning out my drawers and my closets won’t make room for newer clothes that enhance my appearance, or gadgets that serve a meaningful function?  Maybe I’m afraid of the unknown.  Maybe I’ll regret not being able to get these things back.  But maybe I’ll grow as a result.

I’ll always remember the lesson my grandmother shared with me about pruning her peach trees when I came to visit and found many of the branches and green fruit cut away.  Some branches must be taken away, so that what remains may become more sweet and fruitful.  Sometimes, some things in life must be released and turned loose.  Maybe it’s not so bad.

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die, a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away…He hath made everything beautiful in his time…” Eccl. 3:2-11.

Rivers, By Joel Kibble

Joel Kibble is a world renowned dynamic motivational speaker, singer, songwriter,
producer and member of the ten time Grammy Award winning group Take 6.


www.take6.com | www.facebook.com/take6

The Doctor is In! - Inspirations, Part 1

Inspirations, Pt. 1

While I’ve been inspired by the work of countless artists, there are some with whom I’ve had direct contact and who have affected me profoundly. Following is the first part of a list of artists I find inspiring, some with whom I have a personal relationship.


Quincy Jones

Q is possibly the most successful music producer of the 20th century! Best known for producing Michael Jackson’s biggest selling albums, Q has done it all, from being a jazz musician to scoring dozens of films and TV show themes to producing great studio recordings. TAKE 6 has worked with him on numerous occasions. He has a special way of making artists feel comfortable in the recording studio. I am particularly inspired by the way he can spend two hours just shooting the breeze and then record for 30 minutes and get the best performance out of his artists. He also has a gift for recognizing a great song and, consequently, treats good songwriters like gold.


Marcus Miller

… is one of the greatest electric bass players alive and an awe-inspiring jazz composer/arranger. He’s also a wonderful producer who produced TAKE 6’s “A Beautiful World” CD (released in 2002). And like Q, he is great at putting the artist at ease and getting the very best recorded performance. Marcus is also a great storyteller and very affirming. Often, when there is a lull in the studio, or after we haven’t seen each other for a while, he’ll ask me to go to the piano and play one of my arrangements of a hymn or spiritual. Musicians become better musicians as a result of working with Marcus. And that, of course, is the mark of true greatness.


Alvin Chea

He has to be the hardest working bass vocalist in the biz. He’s certainly the best that I know! I admire how Vinnie dreams big and works tirelessly. And he’s great at multitasking. I recently heard him say he does a minimum of two recording sessions for film soundtracks every month. He’s also a published author, an accomplishment to which I aspire. Honestly, I don’t know how he keeps so many balls in the air. It is an honor to sing regularly with such a rare talent, and he inspires me!


JimEd Norman
JimEd is the former head of the country music division of Warner Brothers Records, and the visionary who signed TAKE 6 to our first professional recording contract in 1987. Like Q, JimEd is a “song man.” But what I really admire about him is his sage advice on career matters and life in general. He introduced TAKE 6 to the term “regression to the mean.” It’s another way of describing the art of compromise—a necessary characteristic of bands that get along and stay together.

Cedric Dent is a baritone vocalist in Take 6 and an accomplished producer and music arranger. Dr. Dent is a professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University. He studied at the University of Michigan (B.M., Vocal Music Education), University of Alabama (M.M., Music Theory/Arranging), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D., Music Theory).

www.take6.com | www.facebook.com/take6

The Doctor is In! - Music Arranging

Music Arranging: Vocation or Avocation?

TAKE 6 recently performed two shows in Bogota, Colombia. It was our first time to the country and, honestly, I was not impressed initially. It was overcast for most of the time we were there, and I learned that it rains most of the year. This is due to Colombia’s high elevation—8661 ft. above sea level. The altitude wreaks havoc on the breath control of singers not accustomed to the thinner air. The temperature is normally in the 60s year-round with no change of seasons (never getting cold enough to snow or hot enough to lie on the beach).

But on the other hand, Colombia is surrounded by mountains which make for some breathtaking views. Trees and vegetation are green year-round, and flowers are always blooming. In fact, the reason we in the US are able to buy roses year-round is because of places like Colombia. And the people are warm and inviting!
My initial thoughts about Colombia are akin to the way the craft of music arranging is often viewed. It’s underrated and under-valued inside and outside of the music industry. Most lay persons don’t know what the term “music arranging” means, let alone the fact that it is a specialized field in the industry. Heck, I have a degree in the field and there are categories of Grammy Awards designated specifically for MUSIC ARRANGING! I’m proud to say that my work has been nominated twice in these categories. I also teach a course devoted to the craft of music arranging at MTSU.
While songwriters, music producers, music publishers, and recording artists receive royalties, arrangers do not. Arrangers get paid a onetime fee for their work if they get paid at all. And I’m often asked to provide vocal, rhythm, horn, or orchestral arrangements for no fee.
So why do I bother? Because I can’t help myself. It’s a God-given ability and I love doing it! And I realize that while I could get paid more by concentrating on other facets of the music industry, ultimately I would not be as fulfilled. I MUST arrange music and teach this skill to others because it’s just the way that I’m wired. I often tell my students to choose a vocation because you love it, because it completes you; not for the money you can earn. And if you are truly passionate about it you are destined to be exceptional at it. And if you are exceptional at something, you are destined to be paid handsomely for it sooner or later. I’m a living witness! At the end of TAKE 6’s stay in Colombia, I had fallen in love with the country. And at the end of the day, music arranging is my passion—my vocation!

Cedric Dent is a baritone vocalist in Take 6 and an accomplished producer and music arranger. Dr. Dent is a professor of Music at Middle Tennessee State University. He studied at the University of Michigan (B.M., Vocal Music Education), University of Alabama (M.M., Music Theory/Arranging), and the University of Maryland (Ph.D., Music Theory).

www.take6.com | www.facebook.com/take6