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I am a musician and dancer who loves working with students of all ages. My piano experience is primarily rigorous classical training; however, I am also well-versed in Latin piano music, from classical to popular. In addition to piano, I play Brazilian percussion and sing. As a dancer and dance teacher, I draw on my knowledge of music to inspire my students to feel the pulse and interact with the music. Likewise, as a music teacher, I encourage my students to incorporate the music, as this creates the most natural and effortless expression.As a child, I loved piano. (And still do as an adult!) I started lessons at age 8, and a few years later ranked as a finalist and semifinalist in regional and international competitions. The experience of traveling to another state to compete with the best pianists in my age group from all over the United States-- and some from abroad-- was both inspiring and humbling. By high school, my interests had shifted somewhat, and I was traveling and performing with choral groups and in musical theater productions. One highlight of this period was traveling to Europe with a choir through American Music Abroad. Another was performing with a few other girls from my high school as the spirits in Mozart's Magic Flute in a summer production of Cleveland Lyric Opera. My brother also participated, playing a crucial role as a raccoon.
My college experience at the University of Wisconsin-Madison opened still more doors for me, as I became involved in the Brazilian art form of capoeira, which integrates traditional percussion and call and response singing with martial arts and acrobatics. For several years, capoeira was my main form of artistic expression and my main musical outlet. Living in Brazil my junior year cemented my Portuguese fluency and gave me a much deeper understanding of Brazilian culture.
A few years ago, with capoeira and Brazilian percussion-- along with other forms of Latin dance-- still major elements in my life, I began to go back to music. As I began teaching more capoeira, percussion, and dance to adults and children, and playing more piano, I developed the vision that I am now pursuing. In addition to teaching movement and music, I am currently back in school pursuing a higher degree in music in order to be able to provide the best, most well-rounded arts education I can, drawing on my diverse skills and experience. I truly believe the arts open doors for people, fostering communication, understanding, positive self-image and self-expression, and discipline. I also believe the arts are not separate from one another, but are like the different colors reflected from a prism, shining light on our human experience. |
