I was born and raised in North Carolina. Ever since I could remember, my family greatly centered most of our time together making music together -- my dad played guitar, my mom played mandolin, my sister played the piano and flute, while I picked up whatever instrument I could get my hands on to join along. There was hardly an evening where music wasn't being played in my house. 

As I got older, my grandmother taught me piano. By the time I was nearing the end of elementary, I had saved enough allowance money to buy a trumpet to be in band. I was gifted my French Horn that I had started playing in middle school to where I could finally practice at home. Our family friends helped support me attending a summer music program that I had always wanted to go to. 

After graduating with my B.S. in Music Education from Appalachian State University, I began pursuing earning my three-year certification in the Orff-Schulwerk method of music education and became certified in 2023. You can learn more about what Orff-Schulwerk is in the "My Teaching Philosophy" tab or go to https://aosa.org/about/what-is-orff-schulwerk/.

Music helped me find belonging, whether that was recorder club in elementary, chorus, middle school band, or in college. I strive to help my students see the musician they are and find community in music as they work together to sing, dance, and play instruments.