Music has been a very important part of my life since childhood. One of my earliest memories is attending a symphony with my parents. I was always listening to music on the radio and cassette tapes of my favorite artists.
I have sung in choirs since the 5th grade. I didn’t begin to study piano with a teacher until I was 14, even though I was already playing a little. My grandmother had shown me a few notes on the piano and away I went!
In the 7th grade, my choir teacher taught us to read music. That was when I seriously began to play the piano, learning the accompaniments to the songs we were learning in choir (even though most of them were fairly advanced!). It was at that time, my mother enrolled me in piano lessons. My family didn’t have a piano in our home, so everyday after school I would go to grandma’s to practice.
I continued my music studies through high school and college, completing a BA in Music and a Certificate in Piano Pedagogy in 2001 from CSU, Chico.
I began teaching piano in 1996 teaching at the Music Express Inn. In 2001, I began my own private studio. My students have performed and participated in Certificate of Merit, Piano Guild Auditions, the West Coast Ragtime Competition in Sacramento, CA, the Chico Monster Piano Concert, and the Chico Summer Music Academy.
I perform as accompanist with the CK Price Middle School and Orland High School choirs. I am also the keyboardist at the Christian Science Church in Chico. I am available to perform at private parties and wedding and funeral services.
I believe education is a lifelong process. I regularly attend piano teaching and music technology workshops and conferences, read professional publications and participate in several piano teacher internet groups.
I hold professional memberships in The Music Teachers' National Association and The Music Teachers' Association of California, Butte Country Branch. I currently serve on the Butte County MTAC board as Secretary.