Original music
Two of my primary songwriting influences are Joni Mitchell and Sara Bareilles. I love their complex chords and melodic ideas, near-acrobatic vocal flexibility, and tendency to span multiple musical styles. I’ve also been strongly influenced by:
Fiona Apple
Fleetwood Mac
Sarah Jarosz
Nina Simone
my past life as a jazz musician
vocal improvisation training with Carnegie Hall Music Educators Workshop
the countless pop and rock songs I play on piano for my students
NOT EVEN THERE • I recorded and produced this track during what I called my “spring break sessions” in April of 2025. I was listening to a lot of Fiona Apple and thought it would be fun to see what I could do if I tried to make something that was raw, emotional, and authentic without being too concerned with whether the vocals sounded polished and clean. I started with the piano, then the vocals and lyrics. I recorded two rhythm guitar tracks, a bass track, two drum tracks, guitar solo tracks, and additional layered vocals, and I did the editing and mixing in the studio I’ve been building at the school where I teach. The song was cathartic and energizing to write, and fulfilling to record and produce. I like it for its lyrical simplicity and the universality of the experience. In some ways, the lyrics refer to a person or people, while on another level the message could be directed toward my own anxieties and intrusive thoughts.
SPREAD LOVE • I wrote this song on Wednesday, November 9, 2016—the day after the 2016 Presidential election.
LEAVE SPACE • I wrote the chords and melody for this song when I was in a place of immense frustration and anxiety. Playing the chord progression helped to soothe the maelstrom in my brain. The lyrics came years later, though they reference mental health issues similar to those I was experiencing when I wrote the music.
TORN PAGES
ONLY LOVE
ENDURE
GOODBYE AND KEEP COLD
HERE (WITH YOU) • I wrote this song on April 14, 2020 in honor of my middle and high school students at Friends Seminary (New York, NY). I taught choir and vocal music at the time, and I missed my students very much. I wanted to inspire them to CREATE as a way to manage stress and anxiety, remind themselves they're human, and connect with one another during their time in quarantine. I used the app Acapella to record this video.