I am a passionate about connection, culture-creation and collaboration. I aim to create many “access points” to understanding, learning while “traveling” with my students on their artistic journeys. Whether with beginning or advanced students or with colleagues & parents in community groups, I am a colleague and collaborator, utilizing challenges as helpful boundaries to clarify creativity, exploring new and exciting ways of knowing and doing.
I draw upon many skill sets to create positive culture. I integrate interdisciplinary knowledge from science (especially data collection and process analysis) and utilize mindfulness and counseling practices in warm-ups/rehearsal for wellness and somatic stress release, designing ensembles to be a physical and social affinity space. To this end, I have completed formal counseling training (BRIEF Solutions Focused Therapy and Trauma-Informed Practices) to hone greater social-emotional support skills and am engaging in Cognitive Coaching training.
I am also passionate about diversity, inclusion and equity and helped research, advocate and found the DEI program at CI. In approaches thinking and doing, I encourage students to reflect on and explore different “ways of knowing” and work intentionally to model success as an intersectional person. Music was my haven and I design it to be so for others.
A past project I’m proud of is creating the school-wide Month of Music at Chadwick International during IB testing in May. All MS/ HS/ faculty performers formed chamber groups and shared their gifts in the Atrium each day. Parents, faculty and students would gather to sit, socialize and listen over lunch and breaks, creating greater connection and celebration among community members during a stressful time.
To continue growing, I take professional instrumental and conducting lessons via Zoom. Beyond this, I engage in varied goals like learning film creation or composing musical pieces for educational ensembles/ pop groups. Recently, I’ve jumped into film music for DP film classes and projects with colleagues. Spaghetti Westerns and “Gunfighter Ballads” were particularly fun to work with! In my best life, I would help write and conduct a grandiose musical with spaghetti western and kungfu film influences. 😀
In 2017, I completed a Masters in Science Education – Chemistry as a self-challenge. It was a great experience and aids my design of authentic inquiry experiences in arts and STEM.
As hobbies, I am learning French culinary techniques (or applied chemistry of butter as I call it), am a successful competitive home-brewer (my Smoked Chili IPA and Revolutionary Ale series are solid), design nature-inspired bike paint jobs, as well as dabble in tai chi (i.e. music of the body).
All my varied endeavors demonstrate a passion and love of learning, creating a life of rich with connection. Science is where we understand our complex interconnectivity and impacts, while the arts is where we understand the meaning of those connections and, through them, (re)create ourselves.