Growing up in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina, Todd learned acoustic guitar as his first instrument, soaking up the area’s rich history of folk and bluegrass music. As he started writing, the simple melodies and syncopated licks of the genres’ fiddle tunes found their way into his fingerpicking. When he began composing for string quartets, he discovered how naturally these songs translate into classical arrangements, resulting in pieces that breathe with the verdant spirit and beauty of the South.