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Bachelor Degree: Luther College
2019- Luther College Assistant Conductor
2019- Principal role in Luther College's production of The Tender Land
I am a driven and compassionate teacher with an equal passion for music and teaching. I graduated from Luther College in May 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music with a minor in Education. I have been singing and playing piano for as long as I can remember, and have performed with a variety of different groups and ensembles throughout the United States, including tours with the esteemed Luther choirs. Throughout my time at Luther, I also engaged in many solo performing opportunities including the role of Ma Moss in Luther's production of The Tender Land.
My teaching experience truly began in my high school days, mostly in the leadership roles I had in choir. I was often in charge of sectionals and teaching music to the choirs. This really took off in my college career. Through the teacher education program, I have had several field experiences with both teaching classroom music and individual lessons. I have a couple semesters under my belt of private instruction as well as piano. I also continued leadership roles in college, including section leader, choral officer, assistant conductor, and director of two choral ensembles. My professors also noticed my aptitude for pedagogy and have guided me throughout these positions with a very student-centered mind. I am just out of college, so I am young but I'm full of fresh ideas, experience, and a continued passion for learning and performing that I can share with my students.
For piano, I like to begin with fundamentals such as five finger exercises and musical literacy teachings to ensure growth of musical understanding as well as proper technique. I have had great success using the Faber and Faber book series, as this gets students in the music quickly. From there, there is so much solo repertoire to explore! I have a passion and preference for classical composers, but have experience with pop and modern techniques as well.
For voice, I like to focus on techniques through vocalization while also teaching beginning repertoire such as the 24 Italian Art Songs and Arias. This allows for better transfer of concepts while building up a repertoire list for the student. I am trained and feel most comfortable with Bel Canto, operatic singing , but also have experience with pop and musical theatre.
For me, enjoyment as well as developing proper, healthy technique is key. This means that student may have to do more gritty work than with other teachers, but this pays off as they get to tackle more challenging rep and ultimately can connect skills to repertoire more quickly. However, I always like to meet students where they're at. If they want to learn how to play their favorite pop song on piano, or want to audition for their local theater's musical theater production, my priority will always be teaching in ways that the student feels is relevant to their goals and interests.