I'm a native Austinite (very rare these days), but have traveled the world performing and teaching.
I am a life-long student, and my journey has brought me as a dancer with visions of being a ballerina, to a career in musical theatre, to practicing and teaching yoga, to studying creative arts therapy and accessible circus, to diving deep into advanced teacher trainings in embodied anatomy and kinesiology, to voice pedagogy and vocology (scientific study of the voice). It's been a wild and wonderful ride, and it makes me the teacher that I am today.
I am a life-long student, and my journey has brought me as a dancer with visions of being a ballerina, to a career in musical theatre, to practicing and teaching yoga, to studying creative arts therapy and accessible circus, to diving deep into advanced teacher trainings in embodied anatomy and kinesiology, to voice pedagogy and vocology (scientific study of the voice). It's been a wild and wonderful ride, and it makes me the teacher that I am today.
CURRENTLY TEACHING
BMVS Virtual Studio Members
Assistant Professor of Music (Contemporary Voice and Musical Theatre) at St. Olaf College
Visiting Professor of Music in the Musical Theatre Course at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Kawasaki, Japan
MY TEACHERS, MENTORS, and HEROES
My parents (public school teachers for 50 years!)
Florence Birdwell
Matt Edwards
David Meyer
Kathryn Green
Jonathan Fields
Erin Maile O'Keefe
Amy Matthews
Leslie Kaminoff
Kimberley Steinhauer
Tom Burke
Robert Sussuma
Ingo Titze
Kitty Verdolini Abbott
Lynn Helding
Lynn Maxfield
Andrew Byrne
Christine Schneider
...and so many more.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
A director of mine once said that “songs happen when emotions get so high that words, alone, are no longer enough.” I believe this serves us as singers, experiencing voice production through the honesty of what we are saying.
My teaching philosophy is three fold. I strive to increase physical awareness for my students, through movement practices and breath work. The body feels emotions more strongly than the mind, and in finding full awareness, we can realize and support the voice in a healthy and honest way. For example, when you yearn for something, where do you feel it? How does that feeling affect your breath? What impulses do you feel in your limbs and joints? If you were singing a phrase about a strong desire for something or someone, “thinking” a feeling is not enough. If you allow your body to do what it naturally does in that state, your voice will react in an organic and supported way.
Secondly, it is important to observe ourselves emotionally, bringing what we are experiencing that day into our art, and forgiving ourselves for not necessarily being the same person we were yesterday, for better or worse. As a teacher, I try to meet you where you are in that moment; beginner, intermediate, or old pro (even an old pro can have a beginner day); elated, run down, or frustrated. You may find new possibilities within the piece that you are working on, if you allow your day to flavor your approach to the song. Every day will be different, giving you a full range of choices for your performance. The studio is a safe place to explore these emotions, finding what is serving you and what you can let go.
Finally, to the voice: I aim to guide you on the journey to find your sound. Your voice is yours, not Idina Menzel’s, Mandy Patinkin’s, or Maria Callas’. Words like soprano, tenor, belter, low or high voice do not have to define your talent. I am here to help you understand how the voice works, and what tools you have in order to play and grow in your art. We will explore some of the basic anatomy and principles of vocology (the science of singing). I was driven to the continued study of anatomy and kinesiology as a certified Yoga Therapist and movement instructor, and I find the understanding of the body’s “machinery” to be very useful in singing, as well as acting. We will focus on creating a technique that you can embody, and then forget when it’s time to devote yourself completely to your performance moment. Singing is a natural body function, and like anything in life, with practice and care, you can reach the goals that you have carefully groomed. My goal is to nudge you along until you have no choice but to break into song, as only you can do.
More about what I do here!
BMVS Virtual Studio Members
Assistant Professor of Music (Contemporary Voice and Musical Theatre) at St. Olaf College
Visiting Professor of Music in the Musical Theatre Course at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music in Kawasaki, Japan
MY TEACHERS, MENTORS, and HEROES
My parents (public school teachers for 50 years!)
Florence Birdwell
Matt Edwards
David Meyer
Kathryn Green
Jonathan Fields
Erin Maile O'Keefe
Amy Matthews
Leslie Kaminoff
Kimberley Steinhauer
Tom Burke
Robert Sussuma
Ingo Titze
Kitty Verdolini Abbott
Lynn Helding
Lynn Maxfield
Andrew Byrne
Christine Schneider
...and so many more.
TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
A director of mine once said that “songs happen when emotions get so high that words, alone, are no longer enough.” I believe this serves us as singers, experiencing voice production through the honesty of what we are saying.
My teaching philosophy is three fold. I strive to increase physical awareness for my students, through movement practices and breath work. The body feels emotions more strongly than the mind, and in finding full awareness, we can realize and support the voice in a healthy and honest way. For example, when you yearn for something, where do you feel it? How does that feeling affect your breath? What impulses do you feel in your limbs and joints? If you were singing a phrase about a strong desire for something or someone, “thinking” a feeling is not enough. If you allow your body to do what it naturally does in that state, your voice will react in an organic and supported way.
Secondly, it is important to observe ourselves emotionally, bringing what we are experiencing that day into our art, and forgiving ourselves for not necessarily being the same person we were yesterday, for better or worse. As a teacher, I try to meet you where you are in that moment; beginner, intermediate, or old pro (even an old pro can have a beginner day); elated, run down, or frustrated. You may find new possibilities within the piece that you are working on, if you allow your day to flavor your approach to the song. Every day will be different, giving you a full range of choices for your performance. The studio is a safe place to explore these emotions, finding what is serving you and what you can let go.
Finally, to the voice: I aim to guide you on the journey to find your sound. Your voice is yours, not Idina Menzel’s, Mandy Patinkin’s, or Maria Callas’. Words like soprano, tenor, belter, low or high voice do not have to define your talent. I am here to help you understand how the voice works, and what tools you have in order to play and grow in your art. We will explore some of the basic anatomy and principles of vocology (the science of singing). I was driven to the continued study of anatomy and kinesiology as a certified Yoga Therapist and movement instructor, and I find the understanding of the body’s “machinery” to be very useful in singing, as well as acting. We will focus on creating a technique that you can embody, and then forget when it’s time to devote yourself completely to your performance moment. Singing is a natural body function, and like anything in life, with practice and care, you can reach the goals that you have carefully groomed. My goal is to nudge you along until you have no choice but to break into song, as only you can do.
More about what I do here!