Cliff Westphal comes to Naturally Brass from a musical family, with his most notable inspiration being his paternal grandfather, who, as both a horn player and a professional pianist, played in many professional big bands in his life and for a time led the Howdy Westphal Trio. Born in Davenport, Iowa in 1970, Cliff was fortunate enough to attend the very first Bix Beiderbecke Jazz Festival, but unfortunately he was two years old and doesn't remember the experience. Cliff studied under Dr. Gary Barrow at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville, Arkansas and with private instructors. He has played in local groups such as the Arkansas Winds and the Bella Vista Community Band. A founding member of Naturally Brass, Cliff serves as Musical Director, arranger, and additional brass player for the group. Cliff works as a mortgage loan officer and lives in Bella Vista, Arkansas with his wife Jennifer, and their son Nat. When Cliff isn't working or playing with the quintet or his son, he can be usually found in his office writing and arranging for various genre.