Biography
Background
I began playing piano at age 9, since it was customary to wait until that age to start piano lessons in my family. It was truly the best, most life-altering gift I have ever received. I always loved lessons and decided at age 16 that I had to be a pianist in some capacity. Although I was a good piano student, my attention was divided in school by other musical activities (voice lessons, violin lessons) and a busy basketball season. My more serious piano study began in college, where all of a sudden, there were other people around me who loved making music too! It was in graduate school that I found my love of piano teaching.
Previous Educational Experience
I am a self-proclaimed “school addict.” I have always enjoyed studying, academic environments, mastering new things and even writing papers! Two of my most rewarding summers were spent gaining international experience. The first was a 6 week collaborative piano program in Graz, Austria. The second was a 3 week exploration of piano teaching techniques in Brest and Quimper, France. I have two Masters degrees from the University of Louisville (Piano Performance ‘15 and Piano Pedagogy ‘16), and another masters degree from Salem College, a music wellness degree focused on Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique.
Injury-Preventive Graduate Studies (2019-2021)
The purpose of the Injury Preventive Keyboard Technique degree was to learn the importance of a technique based in biomechanics rather than tradition. We also learned to embrace the too-often neglected idea of taking good care of the musician’s body; we are our instruments, after all! I learned to maximize my own musicality by removing habits of misuse through step-by-step technical retraining in the Lister-Sink Method©. The Method, rooted in principles of movement science and neuroscience, is a research-validated approach to learning well-coordinated, injury-preventive piano technique.
Piano playing is highly complex motor skill; the importance of good form and learning healthy movement patterns cannot be overstated. As a high-level professional pianist who has dealt with joint hypermobility (joint instability, commonly referred to as being “double-jointed”), I have learned the hard way about the importance of taking care of one’s body and prioritizing healthy technique at the piano. This unique Masters degree program--which unconventionally views the pianist as an athlete as well as an artist--is why I left my university music school position in at the University of Louisville in 2019 to study in Winston-Salem, NC.
This deeper understanding of how our brains and bodies work, as well as the importance of good form and the right muscle state, has forever changed the way I think about playing the piano. I have finally gained an understanding of clear physical steps that supported my artistic aims. It is a source of great joy for me to pass these philosophies onto my current local students in Tennessee, and those throughout the globe who study with me online! Pianists/musicians who experience pain that impedes their playing: please contact me for a free consultation!
Current Studies
I am actively pursuing an understanding of Edwin Gordon’s Music Learning Theory, and applying his philosophies to my pedagogy in lessons. In the Fall of 2022, I completed the Gordon Institute of Music Learning’s course (and am certified) and Piano Level I. Gordon’s research prioritizes teaching students to develop their inner musical ear and to play and create with understanding. This approach has opened up my ears and heart to music in completely new ways and I am enjoying playing more than I have in years!
It is my calling to be the best musician I can be and help others with their musical journeys. Piano lessons have been, for me, the most enlightening mirror and clearest internal compass. It is my objective to lead people of all ages to use music in this way!
