Riley is a clarinetist, music educator, and arts/education administrator based in Tempe, Arizona, and is currently pursuing his doctoral degree in clarinet performance at Arizona State University. Riley has performed with groups including the Washington-Idaho Symphony, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory graduate fellowship wind quintet, and Opuntia Winds. His dissertation research focuses on music and the brain, particularly how musicians can apply science based strategies to practice, teaching, and performance.