The Collective taught me how to be reliable and responsible. I would be responsible by learning my songs on time, and reliable because my friends and fellow students were counting on me to have my assignments learned. For me outside of the Collective, I carry these skills with me everywhere because they apply for everything. In friendships, and relationships you should be reliable. In a work setting you should be reliable and responsible as well.

UMC prepared next for success as an improviser and guitar student at the University of Pittsburgh, helped me with my guitar and bass instruction in Philadelphia, and Austin Texas helped me in my capacity as music director in a working r and b group. Proud to teach there now.

Guitar lessons and performances helped shape the musician I am today. It encouraged me to dedicate my life to my passion for the guitar. It provided my first public performances and even recording studio time! I am now happy to be on the Board of Directors for UMC.

The Collective has taught me how to work in a team towards something much larger than myself. No matter what we choose to do in life, we’ll always be a significant part of a greater entity. As a Collective student, it’s music.

The arts have become the foundation for my life, using music as a way to de-stress, design as a career, and a general appreciation of all creative endeavors.

My experience at the Collective and with Dave, in general, prepared me for so many challenges in life that I did not see or appreciate until I was older. Learning a musical instrument and how to understand music, in general, is a very intimidating thing when you are just starting out and I thought of it as almost a lark when I went to my first lesson back in 1993. That day ended up being the beginning of the rest of my life. I learned I could do things I never thought possible.