"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."  Doctrine and Covenants 25:12

I cannot remember a time in my life when I haven't enjoyed and been influenced by music.  Anthems and hymns of praise to our Creator are especially dear to me.  Beautiful compositions with sacred texts help me center my attention on my Savior.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;" Ephesians 5:19-20. 

It is my hope that the compositions included here will make "melody in your heart to the Lord."  Perhaps they will bring you closer to the Master.  What greater purpose can music have than to edify, uplift and cause one to appreciate the love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for them?

My musical training started with piano lessons at the age of nine.  I progressed rapidly.  When I entered my teenage years, I frustrated my wonderful teacher because my attention was diverted away from piano with my preference toward guitar.  (I secretly wanted to be a "Beatle" with girls chasing after me.  Oh well!)  

A seminal moment in my early teens was during a music appreciation class where the teacher introduced us to Igor Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.  The impact was such that I wanted to write music that would affect people.  My musical interests drifted for several years until my first year of college when, again during a music appreciation class, we heard that same remarkable piece.  Suddenly, I remembered what I wanted to do...write music that moved people.

Leaving piano behind (BIG MISTAKE!), I eventually began taking classical guitar lessons and concentrated on that as my major at the university with a secondary discipline in composition.  My university years included singing with a variety of choral ensembles, where I fell in love with music with sacred texts. I also had the opportunity of directing and composing for a performing group known as the Grand Land Singers.  

Upon graduating, I then taught guitar at several colleges for a few years and wrote courses for the beginning and intermediate classes  While studying for my Masters Degree, I was fortunate to study choral arranging with the esteemed (at that time) Frank Pooler.  

In the mid-1980s, VHS (video recordings) were becoming very popular.  Having several years of teaching under my belt, I decided to write and produce a comprehensive set of VHS guitar lessons for beginning and intermediate students.  This culminated in the popular Guitar Now! with Dean Hamill video lessons.  (No longer available, except one might find it used in on-line stores.)

Over the past several decades, my compositional efforts have been called upon by others who appreciate uplifting messages delivered with beautiful music.   My compositions have been performed both domestically and overseas.  So, my teenage dream of affecting people through music has come true; for which I give thanks to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.