teaching philosophy
Practicing and sharing the human voice is one of the most generous gifts we can give others as well as ourselves. I value each of my student relationships as an opportunity to invest in the beauty and diversity in the world around me.
In lessons, singers will be offered a highly individualized learning experience designed for the thorough acquisition of skills, all while developing artistic expression and increasing motivation. Artists from all backgrounds will be exposed to a conceptual understanding of sounds so that critical listening and autonomy is developed. A sense of curiosity and play is encouraged so that above all, singing results in a story being told.
I aim to provide a learning environment where singers can feel immense satisfaction in their technical growth while enjoying the therapeutic and creative benefits of singing.
Lastly, the way we engage with music is a fundamentally human trait as it is different from all other species. Because of this, singing is inextricable from the history, culture, and communities of the world around us. I strive to bring an understanding of this connection to all genres explored in lessons.
diversity statement
I acknowledge that inherent cultural biases exist within music and theatre education, and that my actions as an educator can either promote or dismantle those biases. As such, my teaching operates from the viewpoint that all genres are equally worthy of respect and study in an authentic manner that avoids cultural appropriation, cultural approximation, and without the needless implementation of or comparison to western art music values. I continue to seek education on challenges and solutions for DEI in the private voice studio.
My studio is a safe space where you can fully express yourself without fear of being made to feel unwelcome or unsafe because of your race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, size, gender expression, immigration status, socio-economic background, mental health, physical ability, neurodiversity, country of origin, cultural heritage, or native language.
My home studio rests on ancestral Native land. The areas on which I reside and teach are the traditional homelands of the people of the Munsee Lenape, Wappinger, and Canarsie. I pay my respects to Indigenous elders both past and present.
Visit Native-Land.CA to learn more about the land that you are on.