Faculty

Music has always been an integral part of my life, thanks to the people who supported my passion for music. As my sister and I were growing up, my mom used to sing with us every morning and night. When I was 9 years old, I compiled all the birthday money that I had accumulated over the years and proposed to my parents, “I want to buy a piano.” They saw that I was serious about learning music and agreed to invest in a piano and private lessons. Some of my fondest memories involve attending symphony concerts with my mom who was my greatest supporter. We especially enjoyed “coffee concerts” where we had the opportunity to hear performers talk about the repertoire they were going to be performing and then enjoyed them perform. It was at such a concert where I met and heard Dr. Yakov Kasman, a Van Cliburn International Piano Competition Silver Medalist, perform Rachmaninov Concerto.

I decided to complete a Bachelor’s degree in music under Dr. Kasman’s amazing mentorship. While working on my Bachelor’s degree, I discovered that I loved collaborating with other performers and was offered the opportunity to serve as the department’s accompanist for vocal majors. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in music, I obtained a Master’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education. I loved integrating music with other subjects such as reading and math to create engaging lessons for my students. I also loved teaching piano and directing an after-school program for the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra Scrollworks, a non-profit organization that provided instruments and lessons to any child in the community who desired to learn an instrument.

Teaching inspired me to pursue a second Master’s degree in Counseling with the goal of being more empowered to support the whole child emotionally, socially, and academically. Counseling is my full time career. However, in my free time, I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with musicians and sharing the gift of music with others that so many special people have shared with me. Music is truly a gift the keeps on giving and lasts a lifetime.

Education: B.A. Music, M.A. Early Childhood and Elementary Education, M.A. Counseling

Specialties: Piano

Divisions: Music