music

I grew up in a house where music wasn’t just background noise — it was the whole damn foundation. My dad played bass in jazz bands- he even played with Tony Bennett back in the day. That kind of legacy sticks with you. Instruments were always lying around, and I picked up whatever I could get my hands on — guitar, drums, keys, whatever made noise.

These days, I play guitar and sing in Dead Things, a touring heavy metal band built on riffs, sweat, and spectacle. But my roots run wide — I write and record all kinds of music outside the band, from cinematic soundscapes to raw acoustic stuff. Genre’s not the point — emotion is. If it hits, it sticks.

Touring with Dead Things has been wild. There’s a rhythm to the road that either wears you down or wires you in, and I’ve always leaned into the chaos. Playing live isn’t just about tight sets or big moments — it’s about connection. Some nights you’re bleeding fingers and broken strings, and other nights you’re floating on feedback and adrenaline. Either way, you walk off stage changed.

I’ve been a photographer since I was seven. It started with disposable cameras and turned into a real career — by 23, I was on Mayhem Fest with a band as their tour photographer. That experience cracked something open. Photography became a second language, one I carried with me into the world of touring musicianship. Even now, I bring a camera on the road to catch what happens between shows — the exhaustion, the weird motel mirrors, the small flashes of magic. Music and photography feed the same fire in me: they both chase feeling, tension, and truth.

Schecter was my gateway into heavy music — the first time I held a C-1, it felt like it was meant to be played loud and angry. That guitar opened the door, and I never looked back. Now I play an Omen Elite-7, and it’s everything I want in a guitar: crushing tone, smooth as hell neck, and a feel that makes you want to write riffs for days. It handles low tunings like a beast and still keeps all the clarity I need for the more intricate stuff. Schecter guitars have been with me since the beginning, and they’ve never let me down — they just get it.

My guitar rig is built for power, precision, and consistency on the road. I run my Schecter Omen Elite-7 into a Line 6 Relay G90 wireless system, which feeds straight into my Axe-Fx — the heart of my tone. My signal chain is based on a Peavey 5150-style amp sim, dialed in for tight, aggressive rhythm tones with plenty of punch and clarity. Everything is powered through a Furman power conditioner, keeping the rig clean and stable no matter the venue.

The Axe-Fx is connected to a custom-built computer integrated into my rack, which handles both the front-of-house audio signal and live MIDI automation. During our set, the computer triggers scene changes and effect cues in sync with our backing tracks, ensuring the tone evolves with the show without me touching a thing. I use Stringjoy strings for their clarity, feel, and durability — they hold tuning and tone even through the most punishing sets. For picks, I rely on Dunlop Jazz III’s; they’re small, sharp, and let me dig in with precision, especially during fast or technical parts. It’s a fully dialed, road-ready system that lets me focus on performance while knowing the tech and gear have my back.