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Bachelor Degree: Skidmore College, Master Degree: Sacred Heart University
Honors undergradute work
Honors graduate work
I am as passionate about creating and performing music as I am about teaching music to others. I have worked with professionals and my own students to create compositions that have been published to television and film, and I have coached students who now perform worldwide. My favorite thing about teaching is helping my students connect to music for the first time and watching that passion grow. As an audio engineer and producer, I can coach students in music and also the music industry. I can help students achieve a variety of goals, from just sounding good at karaoke to pursuing a career in music.
I began studying classical singing and performing in gospel choirs, vocal ensembles and chorales at a young age. After earning my Masters Degree in Education, I enjoyed 10 years of teaching 7th to 12th grade students in public schools. I have performed throughout the country as a classical, jazz and contemporary vocalist before opening my own recording studio in 2014. In addition to teaching and performing, I have composed and produced music in all genres for television and film, for ensembles and for bands throughout New England. Through my studio, I have taught voice, beginner violin and viola, music ensembles, music management, production, music publishing and audio engineering. I have also worked as a live sound technician for several CT venues. I currently perform in the ensemble, Ulterior Motif in the styles of neoclassical, gypsy jazz, contemporary and world music. My compositions have been published with the Discovery Channel, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, in independent films, and in a variety of television marketing campaigns throughout the United Kingdom.
In voice, I let my students' goals guide their lessons. Whether it be stage performance, studio recording or personal satisfaction, I will use a variety of techniques to help them reach their individual goals. In violin and viola, I teach the Suzuki method combined with some contemporary and fun improvisation. I teach theory, but also how to communicate with musicians in general. I am a huge fan of the electric violin/fiddle and am comfortable teaching tecniques and about the equipment needed to play. In addition to this, I teach country and Celtic fiddle as well as violin and fiddle for rock and metal genres.
Music should not be boring or intimidating, so I teach to my students' personalities and their comfort levels. I will ask my students to try rigorous exercizes but I will do so in a manner that is fun and rewarding, not exhausting. I enjoy adding humor to my lessons and I like to keep the mood light and conversational because music is as much about connection and communication as it is about notes. I am comfortable teaching notation or tablature to violin/viola students, but I include basic music theory in all lessons, even voice.