"Everything that Matters" is a journey for me across the spectrum of human emotion and experience : from heartbreak to love, separation to reuniting, to the euphoria of an historic election and the spirit and saga of our soldiers far away. Drawing on a range of musical styles and influences from classical to jazz, and Russian and American folk-rock, my songs range from haunting ballads to sing-out-loud, clap-along tunes. While the songs vary musically, for me the common thread is the lyrics that I try to make honest, forthright, and hopeful.



I started out as a classical clarinetist, performing a broad classical repertoire at an early age. As a teenager, I added alto saxophone and ventured beyond the classical stage into jazz improvisation, a passion extended more recently to klezmer, which harks back to my East European roots. My roots have led me to spend decades traveling in and working with Russia.



I am a native of the Bronx, New York, who has traveled a journey from high school dropout to Oxford Phd.