Kevin Ames

My life has always been spent pursuing two disparate paths…construction and music. I grew up in Idaho and from an early age I have been involved with the home building industry. My father owned a door manufacturing company, and later a new home construction company, where I learned the building trades. At 11 years old I started sweeping floors at his construction sites, and through the years I learned all aspects of the building industry, working my way up to vice president of the family business. As an active member of the building community, I served as a board member for the Snake River Valley Home Builders Association in Southwest Idaho. In recent years, I have focused on remodeling and custom woodworking projects, such as designing and building bookshelves, cabinets, and built-in closets. I take pride in the work I do, and I approach all projects as if I were doing them for myself.

Outside of the building industry, my life has been immersed in music. I have lived all over the country, pursuing education in music performance and composition. I have graduate degrees in saxophone performance and music composition, and I have done doctoral work in composition. For three years I was professor of saxophone at Syracuse University. I have written works that have been performed in South America, Europe, and all over the US; and as a performer, I have performed around the US and South America and have premiered a number of works dedicated to me.

Construction and music are two disciplines that seem unrelated, but the same dedication and perseverance that composing music requires are traits that I incorporate into the construction projects that I am a part of.