I started taking voice lessons when I was eight years old. My grandma had signed me up because she knew how much I loved to sing in the car with her. When she told me she had signed me up I responded “but I already know how to sing." However, my mindset changed when I started lessons. I wasn’t very interested in learning in school, but when I went to my weekly sessions I was so excited to learn something new. It was comforting to know that I was good at something, and my teacher was incredibly supportive. I continued private lessons with many different teachers, my favorite being when I was fifteen years old. She quickly put me on a path of determination and preparation for college. She gave me the tools and structure to get through college auditions and motivated me to go to Berklee College of Music.

I spent my first year at Berklee abroad in Valencia, Spain. I was freshly eighteen, with no clue what I was getting into. I had never been to Europe before, I had never been on my own, and I hadn’t been in a curriculum dedicated to music. It was incredibly challenging to learn how to stand on my own two feet, but I’m so fortunate for the opportunity. I learned so much about myself from that experience. I’ve known for a long time that I wanted to go to college and become a music therapist, little did I know, I would discover a sense of self here. 

My favorite quote is by Maya Angelou, who once said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Students should leave lessons feeling supported and eager to learn more. While also growing musicianship, I believe it is equally important to take care of your well-being. I often remind students, that you’re a person first and a student second. Through our lessons, you will be able to feel like a confident musician and discover more about yourself. Music has a unique power to spark self-actualization, and together we will learn how to utilize that power.