Musician
As a musician, I have studied piano, violin, organ, voice, and conducting, but my primary instrument is piano, with principal secondary experience as a vocalist and conductor. Classically trained but with experience in a multitude of genres, I enjoy playing, performing, accompanying, and conducting many different musical styles.
Pianist
I began studying piano at the age of 5 and quickly took to the instrument. I won numerous competitions throughout my elementary, middle school, and high school years as a classical pianist. I also learned to accompany, playing for the school choirs and musicals, accompanying many soloists, and working in churches. This accompanying also exposed me to a larger variety of music, as did my own playing outside of my regular practice. I pursued piano performance in college, continuing to train and compete as a classical pianist while also exploring other music genres on the instrument. Although my continued career has not always centered on piano, I continue to play every day. With highly developed classical technique, continued exposure to non-classical genres, and highly accomplished sightreading abilities, I choose to embark on new music adventures in piano all the time, sometimes as soloist, sometimes as accompanist, but always with joy.
Conductor
As a choral conductor of students, my primary focus is on communication and support. Conducting students is not the same as conducting professionals. The musical goals may be the same, but the support and structure are often quite different. Students, especially those with less experience, need to know that even if they get nervous and start to rush or forget their words, I can keep them all together and help them. If they need some bigger cues for those difficult polyphonic entrances, I will provide them with that. If they need flowing conducting followed by dramatically sharp conducting to remind them of the style contrast of the music, I will give them that too. Subtlety may be the goal, but in the moment, subtle may not always work. I adjust my conducting not just to the style and demands of the music, but also to the experience and confidence level of the students in front of me.
Vocalist
I am inherently a soprano, but my vocal range is actually quite large, roughly E3 - C5. I can easily project my sound and I possess good vocal stamina. I am most comfortable singing with a more bel canto soprano sound, but am capable of belting lower notes, blending my mid-range, and experimenting with various techniques to produce slides, scoops, clicks, and other stylistic elements appropriate for various musical genres. I sing in a variety of styles and occasionally do basic scat singing for jazz works. I typically play the piano for myself when singing solo rather than relying on someone else to accompany me. As a choir member, I usually sing first or second soprano, depending on the needs of the group. I am comfortable sightsinging and switching between various choral parts if needed.