From my teenage years onward, I have played guitar, sung, and written songs. I have penned over 300 musical compositions, participated in over 50 theatrical productions, and produced a dozen shows as the primary creative artist. Furthermore, I have acquired two degrees in my field: A Bachelor of Fine Arts from UT Austin in Theatre Studies, and a Master’s Degree from Towson University in Theatre with an emphasis on interdisciplinary performance and artist-as-entrepreneur.
My thesis production, SONGSCAPES, melded song composition and acting theory into a coherent approach to singing as physical action. In 2009 and 2010, I created and produced two productions in the "My Comic Valentine" series - theatrical performance events based on pre-code 1950s romance comics. In the Fall of 2017, I wrote "The Unfinished Story of Docktown", which told the story of floating home residents facing eviction at the hands of their own City Council. In more recent years, I have continued to integrate my twin passions for theatre and songwriting with a commitment to teaching, grant-writing, and service to my community.
I have committed to support my community and the families who live here by helping to raise the profile of our arts, culture, and service sector non-profits. To work with local, state, and federal granting agencies to insure that funding flows to the organizations and individuals that need it most. To assist local non-profits organizations and their Boards of Directors in meeting fundraising goals, achieving greater efficiency of operations, and increasing our capacity for sustainable growth. To cultivate a positive impact in the community by creating learning opportunities for people of all ages, and promoting the performing arts as a vehicle for personal growth.
There can be no future for Z-Sides Press under a fascist regime in the United States, therefore Z-Sides Press shall proceed with its adamant defense of free speech by exercising it fully, no matter who wins in today's election. Although the terms of its operation require that no formal endorsement get made by the Press for either of the Presidential candidates, it bears consideration that, under one of the two, the non-profit system as we know it will likely get dismantled. In the interests of self-preservation, the publisher at Z-Sides Press would like to remind you that, without freedom of speech and all the other important rights enshrined in our Constitution, the word patriotism rings hollow.
Our program builds a stronger connection between citizens and all of those that it touches. Public events are not merely gatherings; they are opportunities for exchange between members of the same community. The book discussions represent a vital indispensable component of our programming agenda precisely for that they are the laboratories in which we practice civil discourse.