Music for Life
Making music exists at the nexus of many different cognitive functions. It is auditory, it is visual; music is reading, literature, poetry; music is rhythm, it is dance; music is sport, it is art, it is history and style; music is emotion, from the very specific to the entirely abstract. Music is an extrordinarily valuable pursuit for any developing human being because it has the potential to activate so many neural centers, and thus it can support countless other learning activities throughout our lifetimes.The act of making music becomes deeply rooted in the consciousness and the unconsciousness of our being. In older age, when impairments like dementia may affect some of us and our families, it has been shown that the music we made as children through simple songs will be one of the last remaining ways that we can still engage with loved ones and the world around us.
Music :: Language :: Theatre
After studying conducting and music history at Harvard, along with a specialization in Romance languages, I embarked on a solo singing career.
Boston University and the Longy School of Music of Bard College helped me focus my musical passion on opera performance, through two graduate degrees and four additional years of study. I then traveled across the country and internationally, honing my skills as a musician and linguist, and apprenticing myself to a new art, stagecraft.
Drawing on this wealth of experience from academic and performance environments—plus the third dimension of theatre—I have developed a dynamic teaching method that cultivates the unique mix of music-making gifts every student naturally possesses. My deep experience learning five foreign languages also greatly influences my work.
I now teach languages and music as a language, to students aged 4 to 80. With a background in Music Together, an early childhood music and movement program, I have developed a special ability to reach younger learners and lead them in their first formal explorations of music at the piano.
Each of my 35+ current students, whether school-age or adult, learns in a unique way. My far-ranging explorations in music, language, and theatre have prepared me to be an ideal instructor for the diverse range of musicians that I guide.
Studying music can be a lifelong adventure. As I continue mine, I am blessed and honored to have so many fellow travelers joining me as they embark on their own voyages of discovery.