I used to be afraid of practicing…

Growing up in a family of professional singers, I was surrounded by a lot of talent. 

Could I really be talented if there was work and practice involved?

Surely, if I were any good, singing would always be easy and success would be natural, right?

Not to mention the fact that people can HEAR me practice-- before I'm performance ready! 

​Thankfully, my musical journey has taught me that it is in the practice room, with the glorious freedom to fail and succeed in small moments, that I am able to grow in a consistent way as an artist.

​Though natural ability may affect where the "starting line" is placed, it is dedicated practice, study, and refinement of the vocal technique where "good singing" becomes an art form.

Gradual growth, in the safety of play and authenticity, is where the strongest foundation is built.

​This is how I like to teach. I encourage my students to know that they will sound different when their voices mature, after much experience and study, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be able to enjoy the voice they have now.

​Growth is encouraged and expected, but is not forced in spurts. Rather, we take small steps toward our potential one at a time, enjoying the process, maturing alongside our ability.

---

Why Teach?

I believe that music is a form of communication that connects human beings on an emotional level.

One of my college professors used to say that vocalists had the greatest advantage in this because we have the luxury of text to communicate. Beyond entertaining, our job as singers is to tell a story, relate to an audience, and evoke an emotional response that brings deeper understanding and empathy.

Technical excellence is a big part of this process. Safe singing ensures a lifetime of opportunities to be involved in this work, and we all know from experience that it is easier for an audience to connect with song when they aren't fearful for the singer's ability to sing the right notes. 

​It is with this understanding that I approach vocal lessons.

I am passionate about equipping students to sing joyfully for a lifetime without doing damage to their voices. Beyond that, I feel it is my role to equip them for those connecting moments in performance, bringing understanding to the text and musical context to facilitate that emotional communication that we all love in music.

​I have experienced such deep joy in my many years of singing and I love bringing my students in to experience that joy for themselves.

Credential

• Bachelor of Arts degree with Voice Emphasis from Biola University

Ensembles/Roles

• Los Angeles Master Chorale
• Mixed Company Handbell Carolers
• First Presbyterian Church Fullerton - Alto section leader

• ​South Pacific - Nellie Forbush
• Les Miserables - Cosette
  
• Into the Woods - Cinderella
  
• Mozart's Cosi fan tutte - ​Dorabella

Outside Music

When I am not teaching or performing, I'm very busy with my hands: hand-embroidering for my Etsy shop or attempting to bake whatever confections recently inspired me on the Food Network.

I have the absolute most wonderful husband on the planet and we are parents to two adorable kitties.

We play a lot of board games, together and with friends, in theme with all our favorite book series: The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Wheel of Time.

​If you happen to see me in the wild, I'll be eating fried potatoes or sushi, catching Pokemon, or maybe even watching a soccer game with my aforementioned wonderful husband. ​