I have dedicated my life to flute playing and music for over twenty years. I started playing in the 1st grade after I begged my mom to teach me (she was a music teacher too) and I continued throughout the rest of my secondary schooling, earning several awards and placing into All-State Band two years in a row, thanks to my incredible teacher, Bonnie Ham. I played in pit orchestra and community band and instead of partying like any normal teenager, I spent my Friday nights practicing my instruments well into the night, much to the shegrin of our neighbors. I loved music and I loved what I did. I knew I wanted to make a career out of it some day.

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Soon, I attended Ithaca College, my home away from home, and continued honing my skills with my teacher Wendy Mehne, as a double major in Flute performance and Music Education, placing principle flute and piccolo in every ensemble they offered at one point or another. Over the summers I studied with West Point flutist, Torin Olsen.  I was chosen to play in the opera pit orchestra and I've performed at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center in NYC. I've also taken part in several master classes including Claire Chase, Mark Sparks, Susan Milan, Leone Buyse, Alexa Still, and Jean Farrandis.   I joined the co-ed music fraternity Mu Phi Epsilon, where I served as historian and SERV chair, earning our chapter over 2,000 hours of musical community service and winning the Sterling Achievement Award. I played in flute choir, several orchestras, had a sextet, and served at nursing homes all over Tompkins County. But something was missing.

 

Around my senior year I realized that I wasn't happy.  I wanted more than just flute playing for the sake of being the best. I wanted to impact people's lives with music, and even more so, I wanted music to bring me joy again.  I started focusing more on my music education classes and I joined the Ithaca College Chorus where I got to study under the incredible direction of Janet Galvan and Derrick Fox. Chorus brought me joy that I hadn't experienced in years and the mentorship of those two brilliant professors has carried me through the years more than they will ever know.

 

Eventually, I decided that I wanted to teach chorus and was hired in 2016 at Harmony Christian School in Middletown NY.  I had never had the courage to sing in front of people alone before, and it was invigorating! I soon began teaching voice lessons and started a musical theatre program that has become my baby and is the best part of my day! Singing and teaching has brought me so much joy and has been the much needed release I was looking for, but I started to miss my flute. It was something that had been a part of who I am as a person my entire life and I wasn't ready to let go of it quite yet.

 

So, about 3 years ago, I took a flute teaching job at Northern Academy of the Arts where I've picked up some incredibly talented students and re-ignited my passion for flute and piccolo repertoire. I started putting myself out there again for wedding gigs and church gigs and some side jobs and I thought to myself "hmm, why didn't I do this sooner?" Bringing joy to people's special events is everything I ever wanted! And so here I am, marketing myself as a flute player and singer hoping to book gigs and private lessons!

 

If for some reason you're still reading this you're probably thinking "okay but where does photography come into this saga?" I'm so glad you asked! (Or rather, I'm so glad I put the thought into your head so that you would keep reading this LOL). About 4 years ago I was asked to teach photography after the class unexpectedly didn't have a teacher. I knew absolutely NOTHING about it and spent an entire year Googling and watching YouTube tutorials trying to be one step ahead of the class. I had never been SO out of my comfort zone teaching something, but you know what? It was really fun! My whole life I had defined myself as the flute player, which then became the teacher, and the the theatre geek, but they were all semi-related. This was something brand new that had nothing to do with the others AND I was being challenged for the first time in years! Fast forward to now and I am LOVING it, so much so that I decided to go and get my Photography certification from Cornell University! I have worked a few weddings with a friend and done some projects for some friends and family members and I am excited to step out of my comfort zone and start gaining some clients!

 

So that's my life story so far, at least in terms of my wild career whirlwind! If you've stuck with me this far then you are a either a trooper or my parents. LOL.

 

Speaking of my parents, they own an online coffee shop with FANTASTIC coffee for those of you who are as obessesed as I am. Check out www.genuinereallifecoffee.com to learn more! Oh hey, did someone say coffee? We've come full circle! I guess that means I should wrap this here About Me thing up.  Thanks for reading and for  visiting my page, I hope we can work together soon!