"Studying with Patrick for seven years has been the best decision I've made for my playing. He's a standout jazz saxophonist and an exceptional teacher, a combination you don't always find together."
Patrick's Musical Journey
Patrick grew up in Spokane, Washington where he started playing saxophone at the age of 8. By high school, Patrick was performing professionally throughout the Pacific Northwest and further expanded his creative outlets by picking up the piano, flute, clarinet, and percussion. It was also at this time that he began studying at Cornish College of the Arts with the great Hadley Caliman, former tenor saxophonist with Freddie Hubbard’s band and rock legend Carlos Santana.
In his senior year of high school, he was awarded the highest possible Berklee Entering Student Talent scholarship, and so he began his collegiate studies at Berklee the following year. Patrick initially thought he'd major in Music Education, but he quickly realized that this wasn't the right fit for him, as he loves sharing his knowledge and, more importantly, learning about his students' musical interests, and he found that splitting his focus between these things and classroom management wasn't ideal. This led him to decide to major in Saxophone Performance. Also while at Berklee, Patrick had the honor to study and perform with some of the greatest names in jazz including Joe Lovano, Hal Crook, Greg Osby, Bill Pierce, and George Garzone. As an undergraduate student, Patrick was awarded additional scholarships including the Berklee Achievement Scholarship, Woodwind Achievement Award, and his department's highest accolade: the Charlie Parker Scholarship.
Based on a referral by his saxophone mentor George Garzone, Patrick received a scholarship to pursue a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from New York University. While working towards his Master's, he formed close bonds with Grammy Winner Brian Lynch and Saxophonist Lenny Pickett (Tower of Power and band-leader of NBC’s Saturday Night Live SNL).
Over the past two decades, Patrick has shared the stage and recorded with Grammy Award Winners Daniel Platzman (Imagine Dragons), Ted Nash (Jazz at Lincoln Center), Brian Lynch (Art Blakey/Gloria Estephan), Ernie Watts (the Rolling Stones), and Eddie Palmieri, as well as members of the Clayton-Hamilton Orchestra, Wayne Krantz, and Kenny Werner. He relocated to Denver in 2015, and can currently be seen performing at Dazzle.
While he's thrived as a performer, Patrick has also been a successful teacher during the past 20 years. He's developed a curriculum that focuses on implementing the fundamentals while always keeping student interest as the forefront. His students are regular members of All County and All State bands, have performed at the Montreux Jazz festival, and have gone on to study at Berklee and many other prestigious colleges. Patrick believes that music is a journey that everyone can and should embark on, as it feeds our minds and souls. Guiding students as they find their own musical path is Patrick's life's calling, and he feels fortunate every day to be able to do this.
While we all start with the same musical map and compass (the ability to hear and read music), each persons' path forward is as unique as a snowflake.