BIOGRAPHY

I nourished a love for music and the mountains while growing up in Boulder, Colorado, and have spent my life exploring the intersection between nature and the arts. This coupled interest has led to unique experiences, including a position as both the music teacher and adventure coordinator at an Expeditionary Learning school in Pocatello, Idaho. While there I pioneered curriculum integrating music and the local environment, helping students connect to the natural world through music exploration.  My current research has taken me to Iceland to explore the relationship between the country’s unique musical sonorities and rugged landscape.

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I am currently a D.M.A. student in choral conducting at the University of Washington and an active teacher and performer throughout the Northwest, U.S.A.  I also taught choir and music theory at Lake City High School in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and have served on the board for the Idaho chapter of the American Choral Directors Association representing multicultural repertoire and resources.  As an educator I share my passion for learning about and appreciating all cultures and peoples.  My award-winning chamber and jazz choirs have been recognized for their cultural sensitivity and authenticity while exploring unique music from around the world, and I was recently invited as a guest conductor for the 2019 Idaho International Choral Festival.

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I have sung professionally with the Sedona Academy of Chamber Singers, Spokane Choral Artists, Kantorei Cathedral Choir, and others, and am also a performing multi-instrumentalist.  I played trumpet for the Coeur d’Alene Symphony and Tuxedo Junction Big Band, and have performed with several world percussion ensembles.  I have also led music for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, conducting local and regional choirs along with music for worship services.

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I received my bachelor's degree in music education from Idaho State University and earned a master’s in choral conducting from Northern Arizona University.  My mentors include Scott Anderson, Eph Ehly, Edith Copley, and Jeremy Fox, along with my teachers at the University of Washington, Drs. Geoffrey Boers and Giselle Wyers.  I also have a degree in Environmental Communication from Colorado State University, and have led a dual career as a wilderness educator.  I am an avid climber and have been on mountains around the world including Scotland, Ecuador, Switzerland, and Nepal, and when not directing music I spend my time leading mountaineering leadership expeditions throughout the Western United States.

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