MY STORY
When I think of my musical story, I think of all of the people who influenced and inspired me along the way. I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, and from an early age, music was a constant presence in my life. I was four years old the first time I sang on stage, when, much to my family's surprise, I signed myself up for a family camp talent show. Soon after, I visited the Philadelphia Orchestra, and I wanted to be like the concert master. I just had to play the violin. I started lessons with Estelle Frankel, one of the first Suzuki teachers in the U.S. At the time, Mrs. Frankel was in her 80s, and she became a guiding force in my life, nurturing not just my violin technique but my deep love of music as a whole. She encouraged me to sing the songs I played on the violin and to improvise my own pieces. She also shared her rich history as a performer and an activist, telling me stories about playing violin on the radio and marching alongside her mother during the suffragette movement. Her life was a testament to the power of music and to living authentically.
A few years later, I took up the trombone, as well, playing in concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands. And, at home, I’d play around with the piano, inspired by the musical musings of my mom and brothers.
Meanwhile, I was always singing—in shows, choirs, jam sessions. While attending Columbia University, I took formal voice lessons with several teachers, including Neil Semer, delving into bel canto and a variety of other vocal techniques. It was then that I became so fascinated with the intricacies and expressiveness of the vocal instrument that my violin and trombone slowly fell by the wayside.
After I graduated, I started singing as a church soloist and performing in operas. I also began teaching voice. At that time, classical singers were highly advised to only sing classically, but that restriction didn’t sit well for me. I loved jazz, I loved musical theater, I wanted to explore it all. So, I started developing those aspects of my voice, as well, performing in off-Broadway shows and in jazz, blues and cabaret clubs across North America.
A few years later, due to illness, I found myself in an extended period of vocal rest. Though painful, this time brought two unexpected positive outcomes. First, I had always written songs and compositions here and there, but with limited access to my voice and an intense need to continue to create music, writing came to the forefront. I delved so far into the art of songwriting that I ended up teaching it at The Writers Voice at the West Side Y for several years.
Second, in an effort to heal, I tried a wide range of holistic and mainstream modalities: speech and vocal therapy, the work of Alfred A. Tomatis, the Alexander technique, meditation, yoga, tai chi, acupuncture, nutrition, compassionate communication and more. This gave me a much broader toolkit for my work with voice students, which eventually led to the expansion of my private teaching practice, Holistic Voice NYC.
With healing came more music. I began scoring independent films, including Prom Queen, the first short film by David Simpatico (adapted High School Musical, the Musical to stage). I released my album, Us Lonely People, to critical acclaim. My next album In Stillness: Lullabies and Meditations for All Ages, won several awards, including the Mom's Choice Gold Award, the National Parenting Publications Honors Award, and the Creative Child Magazine Preferred Choice Award. I received a grant from the Anna Sosenko Assist Trust to offer live performances of songs from the album.
Inspired by my daughter and her friends, I created Stripey, a children’s musical animated series that focuses on helping kids understand their feelings and navigate the world with compassion and self-awareness. You can check out some of the videos from the series at www.Stripey.TV.
Beyond my own work, I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with some incredible artists, such as Rolando Gori, Abigail Lumsden and Carolyn Montgomery, just to name a few. My voice has been featured in albums, films, and wide variety of performances.
Over the years, I have also had the privilege of working as a teaching artist, choir director, music teacher and performer in schools all over NYC. In 2014, I founded The Children’s Jazz Choir of NYC to give young singers a chance to express their unique voices in a supportive community while keeping jazz and the Great American Songbook alive. Although the choir dissolved with the pandemic, I’m incredibly proud of what we accomplished. Many of those wonderful singers have continued to study music and/or perform professionally.
These days, you can find me singing in the studio, on stage or in places of worship. I continue to write, arrange and record new pieces. I’m lucky to work with a wide range of talented collaborators and my inspiring students. I love meeting and working with friends old and new, so let's CONNECT.