I grew up all over the US, with my parents finally settling down in Illinois. I attended Mahomet-Seymour High School and was heavily involved in the music and theatre departments there. I have to thank Mrs. Janet Watkins for much of my musical development and really instilling a passion for vocal music, especially acappella music. Music is what took me to Illinois State University, where I was a Vocal Music Education major for two years. While there, I sang with the top vocal group and was one of the founding member of the AcaFellaz - an acappella male sextet. I started arranging music for them and have yet to stop. One of my arrangements was actually performed by a high school choir in Florida last year.
After ISU, I served in the US Army for three years. I had the opportunity to spend nine months performing with the 2002 US Army Soldier Show. Along with being a performer, I took on the roles of Vocal Coach and Assistant Audio Technician. Immediately upon completing the Soldier Show, I was deployed to Afghanistan where I served for five months.  Immediately after returning from Afghanistan, my contract with the Army was finished and I moved to Colorado to attend UCD.