I am a lifelong musician from a musical family. I majored in biology and music in college, graduating with honors, and then earned a PhD. in cognitive science, the study of how people think, learn, read and remember. I use my understanding of how the brain works to customize music lessons for each student's learning needs. I am a friendly, outgoing person and my students often hear me encouraging them to play or sing LOUDER! I live in beautiful Golden, Colorado with my husband and two teenage-musician kids, two dogs, and four cats. I love to swim, hike, play racquetball, ski, grow organic vegetables in my backyard, read, watch movies, and of course play, sing and dance with other musicians. My home music studio is called the Rainbow Room because there is a rainbow on the ceiling, and I am the director of the Golden Learning Institute for Music, Movement, Education and Research. I always take my instruments out of their cases when they arrive home from their travels.  

  I started playing clarinet in the school band at age six.  My father was a musician, and he thought that playing in the school band would help me overcome my extreme shyness. I remember my first music lesson.  I really liked my teacher.  He came to my house, and he helped me to care for my clarinet and make some sounds on it.  I thought playing the clarinet was wonderful.  Once in awhile my mom would have to urge me to practice, but I was so drawn to playing the clarinet from the start that I would practice a lot on my own.   I was the youngest member of the grade school band, but my music lessons helped me to keep up with the older kids.  I had found a niche, and my niche helped me open up to other students in school and make friends.   I participated in band programs through middle school and high school. In middle school I began studying saxophone and flute so I could play in the jazz band.  As a high school junior and senior I also got the opportunity to play in the Denver University Concert Band, and I was first chair clarinet in Colorado All-State Band and Orchestra.   I attended the University of Denver on a swimming scholarship as an Accounting Major and Music Minor.  I was first clarinet in the 1st Infantry Army Band at Ft. Meade, Maryland and then I toured Europe as first chair flute in the 3rd Army Band based in Wurzburg, Germany.  I was honorably discharged after a three year tour.  I returned to the states and enrolled in Metropolitan State College as a Music Performance Major.   I started teaching and playing professionally during college and have done so ever since.  In the course of my career I have performed with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra (CSO) on clarinet and saxophone, on second clarinet with the Central City Opera, and as a soloist for the Littleton and Jefferson Symphony Orchestras on clarinet and saxophone. I have performed on woodwinds for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the Arvada Center for the Arts and Humanities and the Denver Municipal Band.  I have played shows at the Boulder Dinner Theater, the Country Dinner Playhouse, the Littleton Town Hall Center for the Arts, the Schwayder Theater, and the new Lone Tree Center for the Arts and with PHAMLY (the Physically Handicapped Actors & Musical Artists League) and Magic Moments.   I have played professionally many styles of music (jazz, blues, pop, ethnic, klezmer, polkas) for clubs, parties, weddings, and concerts with the Benny Goodman Band, Tommy Dorsey Band, Jay Wieder Dance Orchestra, Moments Notice, Rave Reviews, and Ad Hoc Entertainment in big band, quartet, trio and duo settings.   I have been featured on many CDs for such artists as Mary Stribling, Georgeann Low, Neil Haverstick, Big Junior, Scott Smith, Martha Yordy and Ben Cohen.   I also perform concerts and record with Combo Amazo, a band that plays original jazz, blues, bluegrass, and klezmer.  We were featured on the several NPR radio shows including E-town with Richie Havens. I lead a strolling duo on clarinet with guitar that played in the Denver International Airport Concert Series for 20 years and is available for any event.   I decided to teach because I wanted to share the enthusiasm and joy I have for music with students.  I feel passionate about helping develop a child’s talents as a musician. I relate to well kids and can provide an atmosphere where kids are motivated to learn.  I also enjoy teaching adults.   I help the student build good fundamentals.  I customize lessons to define and reach realistic goals and address students’ school band needs or other musical activities.  I respect students’ other interests and pursuits.  I am an experienced professional musician well versed in woodwinds and a variety of styles.  I can offer students a broad spectrum of musical knowledge.  I can teach all levels from a young beginner to an adult professional.  I have given clinics at many local high schools.  I would love to share my skills and expertise with students.

Born in Shizuoka, Japan and raised mostly in the United States since the age of 2, I have resided in Upstate New York, Arizona, Indiana, Colorado and mainly Oregon for 16 years.   I first started clarinet at age 9 and saxophone at Age 13.   With the saxophone I fell in love with jazz and some of my greatest influences are Grover Washinton Jr., Wayne Shorter, Bob Mintzer, Charlie Parker and Spyro Gyra.   I went to Indiana University Bloomington where I got my Bachelor's degree in music, and started playing flute there at age 20.   I moved to Greeley, Colorado in 2011 to pursue my Master's degree in music at University of Northern Colorado.   I also speak functional Japanese and my mother is from Japan.