For the past few years, Brendan has served as the permanent substitute lecturer for the “Introduction to Celtic Music” course at NYU. As archivist at NYU’s Tamiment Library, he processed the five-part Irish-American popular culture collection and provided social media outreach through museum exhibits, blog posts, theater productions and original lectures.

Earlier, Brendan was general music instructor and choral director at St. John’s Preparatory School (New York City) and at Franklin Central School (Franklin, NY), where he taught children from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. In addition to teaching general music to younger students and music electives to high school students, he directed elementary and high school choruses.

Earlier still, Brendan mentored under legendary hip hop artist Steinski, composing original music and creating sound design in the commercial industry, with clients including MTV, VH1, AT&T and the Discovery Channel. He scored the 1994 Samuel Goldwyn feature, Go Fish, and continues to score for films, including Baby Girl, one of 12 features chosen to stream online to represent 2012’s Tribeca Film Festival.

After receiving a B.A. degree in classics from Brown University, Brendan received a second B.A. in music and jazz studies from SUNY New Paltz. He received a master’s degree from New York University in Irish and Irish-American studies and an advanced certificate in archives, also from NYU. He has New York State permanent certification in vocal and general music for grades K-12.

Brendan plays piano, flute, tin whistle, drums and guitar. He enjoys hiking, swimming, cooking and listening to Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk and J. S. Bach.