I grew up in Portland and started piano lessons in 3rd grade, then bass guitar in middle school. I also used to sneak into my brother's room and play his guitars.

I played bass in high school and college, did a small amount of performing, but I'm not a natural band guy.

After leaving Portland, I ended up in New York, then Boston for grad school at MIT (Science & Technology studies). Partially to keep myself from losing my mind, and because I wanted to start guitar lessons again, I reached out to Chris Buono at Boston’s Berklee School of Music. I started taking lessons from him in 2005 and still do.

After grad school, I had to get out of my head and do something with my hands. I had a visceral need to build something tangible. I took an intensive guitar-making workshop that simply blew my mind. It was the most thoroughly engaging thing I'd ever done, and I’d never felt anything like it. I was hooked for good. And I still get jacked doing it.

Guitar building is one of the only things I've found, besides playing music, where I can totally lose myself in the process.