Piano Lessons in Surprise, AZ

Instruments: Violin Viola Recorder Fiddle

Does music run in your family? Tell us a little about your musical family members.
My mother and father are both musicians. My father retired as principal violist of the Chicago Symphony, and my mother was a public school orchestra teacher. Both of my brothers played instruments as well, but since they never practiced and did not have the desire, they decided not to continue music and pursued other fields instead. I was the only child in the family who practiced and pursued music as a career.

When did you decide to become a professional musician? Was it a gradual decision or was there a defining moment for you?
I decided to become a professional musician after having the opportunity to perform with groups on a high level. I remember being really inspired by having the opportunity to perform with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago when I was in high school. The Civic Orchestra is a training orchestra designed for high level university and graduate students to train to become professional musicians in major orchestras, and I had the opportunity to perform with this group when I was only in high school. Additionally, I won a section viola spot with the Ann Arbor Symphony when I was studying viola at the University of Michigan, and I really enjoyed performing with a professional orchestra outside of just with the students in University orchestra. When I won my viola fellowship with the New World Symphony in Miami, I was determined to continue my path towards becoming a professional musician since this was also a very high level orchestra. After the New World Symphony, I joined the San Antonio Symphony as a trial member and then eventually won the job with this orchestra. The San Antonio Symphony performed at a very high level although I do not perform with them anymore since they went bankrupt. Since the bankruptcy, the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony played on and eventually formed the San Antonio Philharmonic. I am currently a member of the San Antonio Philharmonic and plan to continue performing professionally with this group.

What is your favorite style/genre of music to play and why?
My favorite genre of music to play is classical music because it is what I grew up listening to all of the time. However, there are certain pop, rock, and country songs which I have learned to play which I also enjoy. For example, I enjoy playing Devil Went Down to Georgia by Charlie Daniels on violin since it is a song which a lot of people know and has a catchy tune.

If you have a Music Degree, what is it in (Performance, Education, Musicology, Theory, Composition, etc) and why did you choose that degree?
I have a bachelors degree in viola performance, and I chose that degree since I was really passionate about performing and teaching music. I enjoy performing in as many group combinations as possible in various settings (orchestra, chamber music, wedding setting, funeral setting, etc.). Additionally, I am very passionate about spreading my musical knowledge to others since I would like them to have the opportunity to enjoy music and learn it to the very best of their abilities.

What is your dream piece to perform and why?
My dream piece to perform would be anything from the baroque era or anything written in a neo classical style. I really like these genres of music since recorder music has been written in these styles. I wish that I would have an opportunity to perform Christopher Ball's Concerto for Recorder and Strings since this piece is modern, but it sounds a little bit romantic in style.

If you play more than one instrument, how did you decide to start playing the second? (Or 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc)!
I started playing viola after violin since I really liked that it was a lower sounding instrument and not as piercing. My recorder education started my me not being satisfied with how it sounded in the group class. Based on having a good ear from playing violin, I knew that this instrument should be able to sound better. After that, my mom got me a recorder book with a fingering chart. I started by being self taught but realized that if I wanted to play recorder on a professional level (same ability as violin and viola) that I would need to take lessons and find a teacher. Luckily, there was a teacher in my area, and I really enjoyed taking recorder lessons alongside of my violin and viola lessons.

If you weren't a musician what do you think you'd be doing instead?
I have always thought about this question and was never completely sure. At one point, I thought that I would become a doctor, but then I realized I could not stand the sight of blood.

Read More