I teach piano. While I am primarily a jazz pianist, I teach a wide range of genres including Pop, R&B, Rock, and others!

I love teaching because I find it very rewarding to watch my students develop into better versions of themselves musically. Although I am an active professional musician myself, I feel that teaching is equally as important as performing. I have been privileged to experience the joy of performing jazz at a high level for many years, and I have a strong desire to see my students experience a similar joy of following their musical passions. Whether this means being able to play the chord progression for a favorite song or being able to compose and perform at a professional level, I take pride in imparting knowledge that takes students to where they want to be.

I have been an active professional jazz pianist for about 15 years. I was lucky enough to have teachers that deeply inspired me because they were always creating new music themselves. I hold a B.M. in Jazz Piano from Oberlin Conservatory, as well as an M.M. in Jazz Piano from Thornton School of Music at USC, where I also taught undergrads as a graduate TA. Even while I was at school, I kept a busy schedule of composing and performing, which has led to concerts at The Kennedy Center, The BlueWhale, and SF Jazz, as well as tours with jazz artists in the Bahamas, South Africa, Canada, and all over the US. No matter what types of opportunities or awards I receive, my main goal is to push the music forward by teaching and continuing to challenge my personal musical limits. I have just released my debut album as a leader on a major jazz label, and I’m already in the process of making my next!

While I have developed solid strategies and topic timelines from years of working with dozens of students, my method is ultimately shaped by the unique attributes of each student I work with. For instance, I have written many exercises that I’ve found to be very helpful for any student looking to improve their understanding of harmony, improvisation, feel, and composition. However, each student has their own level of experience and unique set of goals. Thus, I use different approaches for every student, but in general lessons will be a mixture of handouts I’ve created (including notated music), learning by ear, and play based learning. It is of the utmost importance that we are always improving our musicianship by means of inspiration and hard work.

I am constantly inspired by my musical colleagues, my musical idols, and my music students. Living in LA, there is no shortage of easily accessible live music from some of the most talented musicians in the world, and I certainly take advantage of that. When I’m not at a show, I’m often playing one. I’m lucky to play with some of the best jazz musicians in LA on a regular basis, so that always keeps me practicing and writing new music. I’m also inspired by my students; I have often learned about new artists I hadn’t heard of from them, and it is also a treat for me to watch their excitement from grasping a new concept.