"Did you know that I actually like piano?" -- an 8 year old student, having taken piano lessons for 2 years already.

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These are candid comments that students tell me. My goal as a teacher is to make learning enjoyable and to develop a musical appreciation. I support every one of my students on their musical journey, whether they are competition winners, pursuing music as a career, or simply want to learn musical skill as creative expression. I'm a lifelong pianist with a Master of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance from UC Irvine, where I graduated Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious honors society that celebrates excellence in the liberal arts & sciences since 1776, cum laude, and as a Leo Freedman Scholar. I'm a member of the Music Teachers' Association of California, where I serve as a competition judge, Certificate of Merit evaluator, and on Board of Directors for my local branch. I've also performed internationally with Video Games Live, a concert series that performs famous themes from video games. I currently teach Piano and Music Appreciation at Citrus College, and musicianship and art song literature for vocalists at the Orange County School of the Arts.

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My former teachers include Lorna Griffitt, Myong Joo-Lee, Ory Shihor, Valentina Gottlieb, Scott McBride Smith, and Marilyn Shields. I'm ever grateful for their expertise and encouragement, and for showing me what it means to play from the heart.

On a fun side note - I'm also a runner and a brand ambassador for rabbit apparel, Garmin, and Honey Stinger. In 2019, I had an article published in the California Music Teacher's Journal, relating music and running.

 

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