Lesson Special - Up to 20% OFF! Get Started Now with a Risk-Free Trial!
BA, University of Massachusetts, Creative Writing
2014 - Released debut EP under 'Soft Fangs,' named 'Band to Watch' by Stereogum. 2016 - Released debut full length 'The Light' on Exploding in Sound Records & Disposable America. 2017 - Released sophomore full length 'Fractures.' Since 2014 has steadily been writing, recording, touring & releasing original compositions.
For over a decade, music has been my constant love and focus in life. I started off playing the piano (my sister is a professional classical pianist), but soon gravitated towards the guitar. At age 13 I formed my first band, writing all of the songs, playing guitar and singing because nobody else wanted to. This experience quickly assured me that making music was all I wanted to do. In the years that followed, I graduated from Umass University with a degree in creative writing, a passion that always coincided with music. After college, I toured independently across the US and Canada with my band. That band eventually disbanded, so I dived into a solo project where I would play all the instruments, record everything at my home studio & play with a rotating cast of live members.
I had always taught music from the age of 16, working at various schools and summer camps within all age groups. I have worked with ages 6-65, beginning at the SMARTS collaborative in Attleboro MA, a local summer arts program. As I got older, I began working at the Chestnut Hill School as an assistant musical director, where children ages 6-10 would form a band, learn songs throughout the summer and then perform two recitals. I taught at the YMCA for over three years, specializing in private guitar lessons but also teaching recording, drums, bass and vocals. Since then, I have continued to pursue my own music, teaching private lessons part-time.
Every student, no matter their age, works at a different pace. I always begin with basic musical theory, learning how to read music as well as more fundamentals. As we are doing this, I like to learn about the individual's specific musical interests and what they like to listen to. It's very important to me that my student is engaged and excited about what they are learning. Without catering each lesson plan to the individual or learning musical elements that they are drawn to, I've found that it's difficult for the student to remain interested, as well as challenged to learn. Overall, my teaching style is designed to create musicians who will be able to not only read and play other people's music, but have the tools to properly express how they are feeling in their own music.
My teaching approach balances a strong & articulate musical foundation with experimentation, taking the time to build each student's confidence and ability at their own pace. I like to teach a combination of basics (notation, scales, rudiments, technique), songwriting and more esoteric musical concepts like tambour, groove and feel. The most important thing to me is that my student is having fun, yet also progressing into the fully-formed musician that they can be. Feeling stagnant is something I've experienced as a young student, so there are no plateaus in the way that I teach. There is always more to learn, and my goal as a teacher is to bring out the joy of discovery.