About
Starting flute at the age of 9, I began as many other children do taking private lessons and learning my instrument with the help of the elementary school, the middle school, and finally the high school band and band instructor. Afterwards, I progressed my flute training at the Mary Pappert School of Music at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, PA. There I began my studies in Music Education with renowned Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra flautist Jennifer Conner as my primary teacher. Her speciality was tone and this greatly improved in my playing under her tutelage.
While in school I was active in the Duquesne University Flute Choir, started by graduate student Josephine Kost, and participated in various ensembles. My greatest contribution to the flute choir was an original composition entitled The Ripple Effect, which was performed in 2009 (available in the media section). In my teaching I feel that it is important for flautists to have exposure to the alto and bass flute. I hope to form a flute choir with my students to encourage collaboration with other musicians.
In addition to the various ensembles associated with the Mary Pappert School of Music, my greatest performance accomplishment was the acceptance to a semi-professional Eastern European Folk Dance and Music Ensemble called the Tamburitzans. This wonderful group of performers and their rigorous show schedule helped to give me a new perspective on flute altogether while improving my playing abilities. I feel that students need some kind of performance opportunities in order to feel comfortable playing their instrument and gain confidence. As part of my teaching methods, I encourage students to perform for family and friends and will be coordinating an end of the year studio recital with all students.
Music however, is not only about musicians. Music is about listening, music is associated with dance, emotions, and even physical well-being. My teaching methods for technique are traditional as I believe every student needs a strong foundation. However, I like to employ dance, relaxation and breathing exercises, and verbal imagery as ways of helping students achieve certain musical goals.
For more information on my teaching methods, performance background, or to schedule lessons please see my contact page and follow any instructions listed there.
Thank you!