A.J. with composer James Matheson and Composer Fellows Katya Richardson and Richard An at Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, CA.

A.J. is a passionate advocate for young musicians, and his role as a music educator is a vital part of his life as a composer.  A.J. was one of the founding instructors for the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Composer Fellowship Program, assisting program directors Steven Stucky and James Matheson in providing unparalled opportunities and support for young composers in the southern California area. (Read a Los Angeles Times feature on the program here)

A.J. regularly gives pre-concert talks for the Broad Stage in Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Upbeat Live pre-concert talks at Disney Concert Hall.  He is often asked to lead professional development workshops for LA Phil Teaching Artists. A.J. has also played an integral role in developing groundbreaking new composition, improvisation and creative analysis courses for the Longy School of Music of Bard College's Masters of Arts in Teaching program.  In demand as a classroom teacher, A.J. has taught undergraduate courses in music theory and aural skills at the University of Southern California, the Colburn Academy, Pasadena City College and California State University Los Angeles.  He is currently on the music faculty at California State University Northridge.

Before moving to Los Angeles, A.J. was on the staff of the Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB),  where he was an instructor with the Boston public elementary Schools Outreach program.  He proudly served as CMCB's chair of composition and theory studies, and helped to create their annual Young Composers Festival with Boston's leading new music ensemble Dinosaur Annex.