ARTIST STATEMENT

Storytelling is at the core of my music-making. Creative collaboration is central to my practice, as stories become richer when many voices join in the telling of them. I especially love drawing upon the voices of my primary instruments – voice, piano, ukulele, and harp. Whether scoring a film or a theatrical production, constructing a musical or rock opera, songwriting, or writing music without words, my process is all about communication with audience. Love of language and a passion for singing make me strive to tell great stories with music that speaks to everyone. My style is contemporary and commercial, driven by rock, classical, and pop sounds, drawing upon media and traditions past and present. My central goal is to create pieces and experiences that resonate with audiences for years to come, using music as a enduringly classic narrative that captures and provides convincing character to stories frozen in time.

In addition to completing my Performer-Composer MFA at the California Institute of the Arts, I graduated with honors in Music from the University of Pennsylvania, and earned a General Music Studies Professional Certificate from Berklee. At CalArts I work as a teacher in the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) Program, having previously worked as a vocal instructor and teaching assistant and leading CalArts’s premiere a cappella group, the Wild Beats. Creative collaborative projects and performances are at the core of my professional work, and I am loving every minute. While at Penn, I directed, produced, and performed in many theatre, concert, and choral productions and was the music director of Dischord A Cappella as well as a studio arranger, engineer, and session musician for Studio Crash, Third Story Recording, and Cedar Street Studios, among others. I am currently writing, arranging, and performing music in a number of venues for many styles including opera, film, theatre, and songwriting. With three debut EPs released to date, I am thrilled to announce that I am completing my first full-length album, as well as an original two act rock opera.