I began playing the flute at age eleven in a very small town in West Virginia. Brandywine Elementary School is located in Pendleton County, a few miles away from the county’s only traffic light. Band occurred during our recess time twice a week and I eagerly looked forward to that time. I practiced every spare minute I was able, even in our family car! The Navy then moved us to Southern Maryland where my passion for music grew. I participated in various district events as well as Tri County Band and Solo and Ensemble Festival.
After my freshman year of high school, our family was relocated to Southeastern Virginia where I got to experience a huge high school band program where I joined the colorguard during marching band season. My first flute lesson occurred in eleventh grade, and my teacher helped me realize my dream of running my own flute studio. I participated in District Band and graduated from Great Bridge High School in 2005. After high school, I continued flute lessons with the same teacher and attended Tidewater Community College on scholarship. Once I finished my Associate’s Degree in General Studies, my flute teacher recommended that I study flute with Patti Watters at Old Dominion University. In 2007, I was able to focus solely on music. Countless hours were spent in practice rooms and rehearsal spaces. At the recommendation of Patti Watters, I began teaching private flute lessons in 2008. I applied and was accepted to perform at the Gary Schocker Master Class in 2008 and 2009. In 2010, I competed in the Young Artist Competition and was awarded the opportunity to play Carl Reinecke’s Flute Concerto in D Major, Opus 283, III. Finale with the Old Dominion University Symphony Orchestra. What an unforgettable experience! I graduated from Old Dominion University in December of 2010 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education. After graduating, I continued teaching privately and began working with an after-school music program called Soundscapes as an instructional assistant. In September of 2011, I became engaged to my now husband, We were married in April of 2012. We have two children. In the summer of 2012, I started teaching as a woodwind technician for marching band at Cox High School and later worked with Landstown High School. Since October of 2012, I have been teaching band at Kingdom Education for Young Scholars, a homeschool co-op. Throughout the years, I have maintained a flute studio and given flute workshops at middle and high schools in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Currituck County. In 2019, I began working as the band director for Saint Matthew’s Catholic School. Teaching is my passion, so much so that I even teach English lessons online to children in China! Outside of teaching, I enjoy playing music with my husband and our friends. It is a wonderful opportunity to be able to connect with friends through music. Being a wife and mother definitely keeps me busy, and I love taking family trips to the mountains, the Outer Banks, and local parks. |