Hi! I'm Mandy!
I'm our school director Kevin's sister!
*record screeches to a halt*
No, really! Well, okay, I understand the confusion. Let's back this up a little.
If you've read Kevin's totally entertaining Teacher Bio, you're aware of his amazing credentials. Total professional, right?
However, I'm here to spill the beans as only a sister can.
We've been friends since high school (choir buddies, and YES he was also in show choir! Ask to see his dance moves!), and were practically inseparable during our 5 years at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.
We share parents (the beautiful Miss Tsai - hi mom!), siblings, and I even welcomed P-Nut when he came to our home at only 8-weeks-old. I remember meeting Miss Clare and thinking she was a lit-tle out of Kevin's league.
I have a passable knowledge of Mandarin (mostly food-related), odd Taiwanese quirks I've brought into my own home, and was definitely “the white girl” that worked at 85ºC Bakery for a few years when they opened their first location in the US.
I'm our school director Kevin's sister!
*record screeches to a halt*
No, really! Well, okay, I understand the confusion. Let's back this up a little.
If you've read Kevin's totally entertaining Teacher Bio, you're aware of his amazing credentials. Total professional, right?
However, I'm here to spill the beans as only a sister can.
We've been friends since high school (choir buddies, and YES he was also in show choir! Ask to see his dance moves!), and were practically inseparable during our 5 years at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music.
We share parents (the beautiful Miss Tsai - hi mom!), siblings, and I even welcomed P-Nut when he came to our home at only 8-weeks-old. I remember meeting Miss Clare and thinking she was a lit-tle out of Kevin's league.
I have a passable knowledge of Mandarin (mostly food-related), odd Taiwanese quirks I've brought into my own home, and was definitely “the white girl” that worked at 85ºC Bakery for a few years when they opened their first location in the US.
Most of my “free time” is spent cross stitching at 5am with a cup of hot coffee and an episode of ‘Gilmore Girls’ in a blissfully quiet house. My husband and I like to play 80s music together (he made a swoonworthy cameo on guitar at Kevin and Clare's wedding) and hope that one day one of our kids will be the drummer we need to start our cover band. On weekends, we continue the absolute nerdiness and devote whole days to family Dungeons & Dragons sessions. My passion is musical theater, so I also spend a lot of time sending Kevin links to songs that we will record for our future duet album. But like any younger brother, he probably never listens to them.
My training!
As every member of FreshStart, I have an extensive musical background. In 2010 I completed a 5-year degree in Music Education: Choral/Vocal Studies at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. My initial plans of performing in theater were dashed when I met and married the love of my life and moved to Fresno (no regrets whatsoever).I do still perform from time to time, and spent some happy time here in Fresno teaching private voice and group piano lessons at a local Steinway music school. I also took over as their Director of Education for several years until the birth of my son. More recently, I’ve become an instructor at Children’s Musical Theaterworks, where I teach my favorite things to some incredible kids - classes in singing, acting, dancing, audition preparation… You know, the good stuff! In a couple of years, I am excited to move into the next phase of my musical life - auditioning for shows WITH my kids!
FreshStart is definitely the most fun stop on my resume, and I plan to be here for a long time!
FreshStart is definitely the most fun stop on my resume, and I plan to be here for a long time!
