About

I grew up in a small mountain hamlet and enjoyed making music. Playing piano, singing, playing saxophone, and musical theater were my creative outlets and being a member of the LGBTQIA+ community with reading comprehension issues, I struggled to feel a sense of belonging. This passion and experience led me to a fulfilling career in performing and performing arts education, where I collaborate with and inspire new ideas in colleagues and students.

My journey extends beyond concerts and musicals. Over the past 25 years, I have honed my craft through degree programs, state licensure requirements, and diverse career opportunities. I hold Massachusetts licenses in Music at all levels, Early Childhood Education with moderate disabilities, and Organizational Management.

My small-town roots instilled in me a drive to explore a wider world. I have been fortunate to work as an educator and address challenges in urban, suburban, and rural districts across two states. My experience includes working with children from Pre-School to High School in early childhood education, music education, arts integration, and theater arts.

Currently, I serve as the Director of Performing Arts for a PreK-12 district with 5,700 students, leading a department of 55 educators in art, dance, drama, and music. I find daily joy and inspiration in my work. Highlights of my journey include:

* Leading an ambitious integrated music project, such as writing a local grant to enable our Kindergarten team to create and record songs for the Kindergarten phonics program.

* Integrating music and technology into reading and writing workshops, which successfully increased decoding and comprehension levels for students. This work was studied by Literacy Professors Barbara Steckel and Valerie Shinas from Lesley University for a future literacy education publication in digitally integrated classrooms. This work was presented and featured at the MRA annual conference in 2014 and the Greater Boston Reading Conference in 2015.

* Using a collaborative practice model to create and implement a uniquely designed 3rd-grade recorder program that utilizes boomwhacker colors to support student decoding of musical notation.

* Creating, directing, and performing a yearly musical with first graders, integrating core content curriculum with technology and the arts for a deeper learning experience.

* Partnering with Boston Lyric Opera to help students create a student-run opera production that integrates grade-level classroom curriculum into a full-scale, student-operated production.

* Partnering with UMASS Lowell in the Ecosonic Playground Project ™, where 3rd-grade students create their own musical playground structure using recycled materials.

My professional repertoire extends beyond the classroom. I served as the Co-President of the Teacher’s Union for several years, leading an association team through successful contract negotiations with the administration. I was also a member of the Education Advisory Council, which creates and supports the Community Outreach/Family Concert Series for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. My recent endeavors include contributing regularly to the national music resource magazine “Activate” through Heritage Music Press, serving as a member of the Massachusetts Music Standards Review Committee for 2018, a DESE Arts Ambassador, and DESE Expert Curriculum Advisor for Performing Arts. This diverse background has led me to create my own education connection platform, which supports arts programs in building meaningful cross-curricular learning experiences for students through partnerships within and across school teams, and with local organizations.