Teaching is my passion because there is nothing more magical than to help a student conquer a new concept. It is my hope that my students use the drive and dedication that they learn in my classroom to apply to their lives and eventually their occupations. It is my philosophy that students gain the understanding that everyone is important in an ensemble and we work together to make music. Teamwork is key to our success and this is so applicable to students lives and occupations as they exit my classroom. I believe that students should participate in the learning process so at Maine South High School I implemented a student conductor and mentor program. Where students were my assistants as well as peer coaches for each other. I have several students who decided to be educators after this experience. I conducted a chamber orchestra at Maine South which allowed those students who were accelerated to have even more room to flourish. It is essential that students are given every opportunity to grow and thrive.

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It is important to me as an educator to get to know all my students on an individual basis, because an ensemble is not whole without every student being a part of the process. Each student has their own way of learning and it is my job as an educator to find the best way to meet each student’s potential. I have had many students over the years who have had special needs and I have worked side by side with the special education teachers with the purpose of meeting the needs of every student in my classroom. I have also had students who are accelerated beyond the rest of their peers and I strive to meet their needs finding repertoire that meets their playing ability as well as the rest of the classroom and if necessary assigning them additional music. It is essential to me to meet the potential of every student present in my classroom.

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When I began my teaching career at Maine South High School there were less than 40 students in the program. I saw potential and I began recruiting and working side by side with the middle school teachers. I brought in Mark Wood from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and we put all our string students up on stage for a rock concert. I had a special day where the middle and high school students got together and they had a combined orchestra clinic that was followed by student led ice breaker activities and a pizza party. I took students on field trips to see the "Nutcracker", "Wicked", and "Once". We had a clinic with Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble in the rehearsal room at Symphony Hall. We did clinics at Northwestern and Roosevelt. I took the orchestra to perform in Disney World and New York City several times. The numbers grew in the program to over 100 students in 5 orchestras. There is nothing that brings me more joy then to see students being effected by music in such a wonderfully positive way.

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Music making has always been a part of who I am. I was handed a violin at the tender age of two and I have never turned back. My training was with Milton Goldberg in the Suzuki Method and I studied at the Music Institute of Chicago and was brought up in the Winnetka School System. I was so fortunate to watch and grow with such fantastic teachers. I remember my first performance on stage and that rush of excitement as the audience applauded when my performance was complete. When I headed to Northwestern University I knew that I wanted to be a music teacher. I always wanted to share my love of music with others. I had the opportunity to play in the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Henry Mancini Orchestra in Los Angeles and I currently play in the Highland Park Strings. I feel it is so essential for me to demonstrate proper technique and playing so that my students have a good model to follow.

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I have had the opportunity over the years to work with a variety of age levels. I have taught at a Chicago Suzuki Camp that has a draw of students from all over the United States. I taught students in Kindergarten through Eighth Grade for the past two years. I have them in an orchestra daily and together we work on technique, tone, and musicality. I truly have a passion for this age level. I strive to make my ensemble a safe and secure environment where students feel confident to take risks. I feel that if students feel you are invested and care for them they will work to their greatest ability level. I currently teach several private students from Wilmette, Glencoe, Winnetka and Highland Park in my private violin & viola studio. We work on technique and confidence in playing both solo and orchestral repertoire. This past year I did sectionals or clinics at New Trier,  Fremd High School, North Shore Orchestra IGSMA Contest, Wheeling Middle School Festival, and the Niles Township Orchestral Middle School and High School Festival. I loved working with the incredibly motivated string players at these experiences. I find that my knowledge teaching a wide variety of age levels is an asset to me as an educator as I can start a student on an instrument as well as help them grow to their greatest potential.