​Alex went on to study jazz piano at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, studying with Trudy Pitts, Tom Lawton and Don Glanden.  Other faculty members broadened his musical vocabulary and professional outlook. Alex jumped at every opportunity to perform, whether it was in showcase ensembles, playing in friends' senior recitals, or even being the “upper strings section on keyboard” for a production of Carmina Burana. Alex graduated in 2012 with a bachelor's degree in piano performance and received the Anthony and Gloria DiMedio Award and the Jacobs Music Steinway Award.

 

After graduating, Alex began building a freelance career in the Philadelphia area, taking on work in a wide range of musical settings, including restaurants, weddings, jazz clubs and theater while also teaching.  He also began performing and recording with different bands and projects, including Ode to Omni and Hoppin’ John Orchestra.  Around this time, he went on a few tours with The Royal Noise and Dirk Quinn Band.  As a member of rock band Cold Roses, Alex performed at the 2015 MMRBQ alongside acts including Slash and Breaking Benjamin.  The band also had opportunities to record in Los Angeles.  Later, Alex became a regular member of funk band Swift Technique and began touring extensively with them.  During this period, Swift Technique opened for the Disco Biscuits at the Fillmore Philadelphia and performed at the XPoNential Music Festival. 

 

In 2017, Alex was recommended as a sub for Start Making Sense, a tribute to Talking Heads.  His first tour with the band took him hundreds of miles from home to Kalamazoo, MI, with people he had just met to perform two sets of music he had never performed live before—with no rehearsal. 

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Alex is currently the full-time keyboardist for Start Making Sense, performing throughout the United States as well as touring in Australia.  He also continues to teach and freelance in the Philadelphia area.