ABOUT
ME

Movement is the foundation of the art of music-making. This idea is the foundation of my teaching and playing.  My multifaceted approach began with Body Mapping and quickly grew to include influences from traditional somatic practices as well as unconventional sources such as flying trapeze, and parkour.  Today, I use my collective experience to guide musicians to embody playing movement in order to unleash expression, build confidence, and cultivate a healthy, sustainable playing career.

 

It became clear that experiences outside of the practice room that has much to offer.  During my third flying trapeze class, an almost debilitating fear of heights transformed into joy and exhilaration as I flew across the rig to be caught by a catcher.  In the blink of an eye, a fear had transformed.  Trapeze also offered movement, timing, and awareness challenges that paralleled the pressures of performance. I have never looked back. 

 

Parkour continues to have a profound influence on my pursuit of understanding movement and mindset.  The sport continually brings me face to face with what I believe are my limitations and challenges my self-concept. Training in judgment-free zones in a community that is supportive and connected are two qualities of Parkour that have become central to my teaching.

 

The common thread that connects all of these activities is movement. Today, I balance work as a flutist, Body Mapping educator, personal trainer, and parkour coach. Through these experiences, I have learned to look at music-making from a multifaceted perspective that considers movement as the source of sound.  This holds the key to overcoming technical and expressive limitations, playing plateaus, and performing without pain.  My passion is educating musicians about movement to assist them in learning to move in healthy ways that fully support their musical intentions.

 

I share her joy of music and movement as a faculty member at the Longy School of Music of Bard College and New England Conservatory of Music. My popular Body Mapping courses provide crucial information on the body’s design for movement in a judgment-free zone working collaborative, which contributes to the development of musicianship, stage presence, and powerful connections with audiences.

 

A sought-after clinician, I lead workshops at music schools, conferences, and festivals that include: Boston University Tanglewood Institute, PAMA International Symposium, Shepherd School of Music, Peabody School of Music, Via Academy, University of Michigan, Varna International Music Academy, among others.

 

A graduate of the Crane School of Music and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in flute performance, my credentials also include NASM Certified Personal Training Certification, Certified Functional Strength Coach, Parkour A.D.A.P.T. Level 1 coach, and Core Movement Integration Level 1.  I have also taken courses through the Postural Restoration Institute™.  In 2022, I edited the flute edition of Mountain Peak Music’s Big Book of Sight Reading Duets which includes a forward by Marianne Gedigian. I have been awarded numerous faculty development grants to further her study and reach new audiences.  Her writing has been included in CelloBello, and Flute Talk and she is a contributor to Playing Well Anatomy and Movement Series created by Serap Bastepe-Gray of the Peabody Conservatory.  My blog, ‘Practicing Turned Upside-Down’ is a resource for musicians to expand the way they approach and make music.