Courses Taught
- Teaching Artistry
- Practical Aspects of a Career in Music
Education
- MA, Music and Music Education, Columbia University
- California Teaching Credential with Dance Certification, UC Berkeley (Extension)
- BA, Dance and Performance Studies/Social Cultural Anthropology, UC Berkeley
Ensembles
- Bay Area Children's Theatre Mainstage Professional Company, Resident Director and Choreographer
- Upswing Aerial Dance
- Opera Non Troppo, 2000–2014
What is your hometown?
Los Angeles, CA
What is your favorite recording?
Maria Callas - Verdi: La Traviata - The Legendary Covent Garden Performance (1958).
What are you passionate about outside of music?
I am passionate about equity and education and ensuring that all students receive high-quality music education.
Who were your major teachers?
Renee Fladen-Kamm, Stephanie Vlahos, and Charles McNeal.
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
“It's a practice, not a perfect. Let go of perfect and just tell me a story.”
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
I wish that my music and pedagogy students would focus less on their own experiences while playing a piece and/or teaching a class and focus more on what the audience or students are receiving. Many of my students do not think about this aspect of their art/craft until they are very far along in the rehearsal process.
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
I played the Cantor in a play at my temple, and singing for the whole congregation was such a thrill that I knew that singing was what I wanted to do.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
I would be a biological anthropologist. I really enjoyed those courses in my undergrad program, and there has always been a part of me that wanted to be the next Jane Goodall.
