Music Educator
I am a vocal specialist with a strong instrumental background. My pedagogical priorities are student engagement, autonomy, and creativity. While my students achieve high levels of excellence in performance, most important in my classroom is a sense of belonging for all students. The changing adolescent voice is my primary research focus, particularly with regard to motivation and engagement. I have special interests in the vocal development of transgender and gender-fluid students as well as student creativity and social-emotional development through songwriting and improvisation.
My specialties include:
song-leading
Kodály-based music instruction
theater music direction
vocal coaching
curriculum design
teacher training
collaborative piano
songwriting
arranging
conducting
Vocal Coach
As a classically-trained, contemporarily-influenced vocalist and educator, I offer a versatile training experience for students of all ages. With students ranging from five to 75 years and beyond, I combine patience, curiosity, creativity, humor, and professional musicianship to support students in their quest for musical excellence. Foundational to success with any instrument is an understanding of how it functions. For singers, the body is the instrument. As such, I prioritize an understanding of how the body creates sound, helping my students to sing with healthy, sustainable technique as well as sensitive artistry. Lessons lean heavily on breath work and alignment as well as attention to text (lyrics) and context (character, venue, etc.). Precise attention to intonation, solfège-based ear-training, and playful improvisation are additional elements of my work as a musician and teacher/coach.
