I was born in Tallassee, Alabama, and grew up there. Upon graduation from high school, I lived in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for five years while attending the University of Alabama. In 1963 I moved to Brevard to teach at Brevard College after having spent two summers working at the Brevard Music Center; I have lived here since that time (except for three years in Indiana during graduate study). I have been married to my wife Marion since 1966, and we have one son, Chris, who was born in 1976. Marion and I live on Laurel Lane, and Chris lives in a little house on Turkey Creek Road, near the Pisgah National Forest, which he shares with the four family cats. Marion is a nurse, and Chris works as a surveyor's assistant.

I earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees at the University of Alabama, in 1962 and 1966 respectively. These two degrees were earned in Music Theory and Composition. In 1974 I earned the Doctor of Philosophy degree at Indiana University; my major field was Music Theory and my two minor fields were Composition and Music History/Literature.

My teaching at Brevard College has been in the field of Music Theory, where I taught courses in harmony, form and analysis, counterpoint, and orchestration. I am still active as a composer, having written chamber music and music for band, orchestra, and chorus, including commissioned works and published works. Except for my years in graduate school at Indiana University, my entire teaching career was spent at Brevard College. At the end of the 1999-2000 academic year, I retired as the Iva Buch Seese Distinguished Service Professor of Music Theory, Emeritus.

My primary hobbies are woodworking and fly fishing.