My Journey
Baroque and Beyond is the culmination of a journey through my studies, experience, and personal growth. I invite you to read this rich background that created the inspiration for my diverse, educational and entertaining Baroque and Beyond solo flute programs. This summary of my extensive and varied flute experience spans over 30 years.
My journey with the flute began in 1987 when my middle school band director gave a brief introduction to all of the instruments being taught that year to fourth graders. I chose the flute because it looked like the easiest instrument to carry on my walk home from school. From this inauspicious beginning, I eventually developed my gifts and mission. Just a year later, I was chosen to be the only flautist to accompany the third grade music production at my elementary school.
A few years later, I had the wonderful opportunity to begin studying the flute with Juilliard graduate, Robin Kani. At my first performance at Ms. Kani’s student recital, Ms. Kani literally pushed a scared and tearful girl gently onto the stage, where I played a Bach Minuet nearly flawlessly. The applause from the audience immediately convinced me that I wanted to perform my flute many, many more times. I did well in middle school and high school band auditions and had dreams of one day playing in a Broadway pit orchestra or as part of a famous symphony.
When I was 16, my goals changed. I took a life changing trip to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua with a group providing aid to the victims of the country’s recent civil war. At the end of the week, a memorial service was held for family members who had lost loved ones in the war. As family members placed flowers in a grave to remember each of those lost loved ones, I played somber, solo flute music. After the service, mourners told me in Spanish, English and Creole how much my music had touched them. I did not understand all of the words, but I understood the sincere appreciation. That evening, I knew I was more interested in using my music for therapeutic benefits rather than for fame. My Broadway dreams turned into visions of helping those with disabilities or other disadvantages. I thought that people who had economic hardships might appreciate my music just as much, if not more, than those who could afford to pay for Broadway musicals. In one evening, my musical focus was redefined.
I graduated from Freedom High School in 1995, a school with a competitive and challenging music program under the direction of Ron Demkee. During high school, I was first chair of my high school band which had about 40 flutes. I participated in my high school orchestra, wind ensemble, woodwind quintet, pit orchestras and was head of my high school fife and drum corps. I played a flute solo during my senior year, where I was accompanied by my high school orchestra. I was also recruited to do pit orchestras at another high school with a smaller orchestral program. I played solos and choir accompaniment in houses of worship throughout middle and high school and have continued this as an adult professional.
During high school, my musical activities outside of school included participating as one of four flutes in Young Peoples Philharmonic for two years and playing 2nd chair for Pennsylvania Youth Concert Honors Band (PYHCB) at Moravian College for two years. Both organizations included students from many different high schools in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. I served as president of PYHCB for one year. I participated in the district band concert in 1995 which was also a multi-school performance. I was part of a flute trio started by Ms. Kani that went on to perform at weddings, dinner parties, banquets, silent auctions and in several houses of worship.
I continued to study with Ms. Kani at Moravian College. Moravian did not offer a music therapy program, so I enrolled as a flute performance major. I performed with some of Moravian’s small ensembles including the flute ensemble, flute quartet, flute trio, baroque ensemble, and woodwind trio. I was also a member of Moravian College’s Wind Ensemble, Contemporary Ensemble and Orchestra and performed three full length works at a Moravian solo recital. I then studied music therapy at another college. Knowing that I wanted to focus on music therapy, I created my own field experience during my years at Moravian. I volunteered to perform at a hospital and residential facility for people with physical disabilities, a juvenile detention center, a halfway house for people recovering from substance abuse, several senior residential and day facilities, two partial hospitalization programs for mental health patients and a preschool day care. These outreach performances prepared me to play professionally at senior living facilities beginning in 2010. Many of the elements of my solo flute programs were modified for my work in educating children ages 3-13 at child care facilities in Philadelphia, Morrisville, PA and Trenton, NJ. I teach private flute lessons, and I am a member of the Mercer County Symphonic Band.
I have vast flute performance experience that crosses country borders and US time zones. It includes performing for several diverse populations that include people ages 3-100+ years old. I have a true and deep passion for the flute and all of its endless performance and educational possibilities.
Baroque and Beyond is the culmination of a journey through my studies, experience, and personal growth. I invite you to read this rich background that created the inspiration for my diverse, educational and entertaining Baroque and Beyond solo flute programs. This summary of my extensive and varied flute experience spans over 30 years.
My journey with the flute began in 1987 when my middle school band director gave a brief introduction to all of the instruments being taught that year to fourth graders. I chose the flute because it looked like the easiest instrument to carry on my walk home from school. From this inauspicious beginning, I eventually developed my gifts and mission. Just a year later, I was chosen to be the only flautist to accompany the third grade music production at my elementary school.
A few years later, I had the wonderful opportunity to begin studying the flute with Juilliard graduate, Robin Kani. At my first performance at Ms. Kani’s student recital, Ms. Kani literally pushed a scared and tearful girl gently onto the stage, where I played a Bach Minuet nearly flawlessly. The applause from the audience immediately convinced me that I wanted to perform my flute many, many more times. I did well in middle school and high school band auditions and had dreams of one day playing in a Broadway pit orchestra or as part of a famous symphony.
When I was 16, my goals changed. I took a life changing trip to Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua with a group providing aid to the victims of the country’s recent civil war. At the end of the week, a memorial service was held for family members who had lost loved ones in the war. As family members placed flowers in a grave to remember each of those lost loved ones, I played somber, solo flute music. After the service, mourners told me in Spanish, English and Creole how much my music had touched them. I did not understand all of the words, but I understood the sincere appreciation. That evening, I knew I was more interested in using my music for therapeutic benefits rather than for fame. My Broadway dreams turned into visions of helping those with disabilities or other disadvantages. I thought that people who had economic hardships might appreciate my music just as much, if not more, than those who could afford to pay for Broadway musicals. In one evening, my musical focus was redefined.
I graduated from Freedom High School in 1995, a school with a competitive and challenging music program under the direction of Ron Demkee. During high school, I was first chair of my high school band which had about 40 flutes. I participated in my high school orchestra, wind ensemble, woodwind quintet, pit orchestras and was head of my high school fife and drum corps. I played a flute solo during my senior year, where I was accompanied by my high school orchestra. I was also recruited to do pit orchestras at another high school with a smaller orchestral program. I played solos and choir accompaniment in houses of worship throughout middle and high school and have continued this as an adult professional.
During high school, my musical activities outside of school included participating as one of four flutes in Young Peoples Philharmonic for two years and playing 2nd chair for Pennsylvania Youth Concert Honors Band (PYHCB) at Moravian College for two years. Both organizations included students from many different high schools in eastern Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. I served as president of PYHCB for one year. I participated in the district band concert in 1995 which was also a multi-school performance. I was part of a flute trio started by Ms. Kani that went on to perform at weddings, dinner parties, banquets, silent auctions and in several houses of worship.
I continued to study with Ms. Kani at Moravian College. Moravian did not offer a music therapy program, so I enrolled as a flute performance major. I performed with some of Moravian’s small ensembles including the flute ensemble, flute quartet, flute trio, baroque ensemble, and woodwind trio. I was also a member of Moravian College’s Wind Ensemble, Contemporary Ensemble and Orchestra and performed three full length works at a Moravian solo recital. I then studied music therapy at another college. Knowing that I wanted to focus on music therapy, I created my own field experience during my years at Moravian. I volunteered to perform at a hospital and residential facility for people with physical disabilities, a juvenile detention center, a halfway house for people recovering from substance abuse, several senior residential and day facilities, two partial hospitalization programs for mental health patients and a preschool day care. These outreach performances prepared me to play professionally at senior living facilities beginning in 2010. Many of the elements of my solo flute programs were modified for my work in educating children ages 3-13 at child care facilities in Philadelphia, Morrisville, PA and Trenton, NJ. I teach private flute lessons, and I am a member of the Mercer County Symphonic Band.
I have vast flute performance experience that crosses country borders and US time zones. It includes performing for several diverse populations that include people ages 3-100+ years old. I have a true and deep passion for the flute and all of its endless performance and educational possibilities.