My flute education started in middle school... After being the first from my small town to join the All State Band as a freshman, I moved to Houston to attend the High School for Performing and Visual Arts (Houston, TX) for more opportunities.
Here my knowledge & experience of improvisation began to expand... including "Classical" & "Free" improv on flute! My senior recital included improvised music, as well as classical & contemporary repertoire.
When continuing my education at the University of North Texas I found many opportunities to expand my skills & develop my ear!
But, when I found out the miserable employment statistics of Flute Performance Majors in Orchestras at the same time that my dad was dying of cancer... it was a recipe for a hard & fast burnout. I quit playing. Mostly.
But when my dad's favorite songs came on the radio, and I needed to sing my heart out - cry my heart out - I picked up my flute. Being a "better flute player than a singer," in the privacy of my home I let rip improvisations that were for no one else but me & God. It was music therapy... and it helped me through my grief. It was in these times I started to find my unique voice as a flute player.
After moving to Austin and meeting singer-songwriter Haley Harken... When she found out that I had a music degree, the next thing I knew it I was playing on her album, playing at local Sound Baths & Kirtans, & joining the Cosmic Butterflies band!
And it has been through these experiences that I have gained a whole new perspective on music:
Collaboration is more important than competition.
Music creates lasting memories & friendships.
Now, my musical mission is:
1) to inspire flutists who've burnt-out to pick up their flutes again as a tool of healing & connection, and
2) to help classically trained flutists improve their improvising so they can use their technical skills for connecting in a wide variety of musical styles.
