I am an active performer, educator, and creator.
I enjoy producing relevant and thoughtful content in many forms.
I am passionate about collaborating with others.
I am a student of contemporary music, free jazz, electronic music, punk, jazz, western classical, noise music, hip hop, pop, Gamelan, Afro-Cuban, Samba, and Ewe traditions.
While my solo setup usually centers around guitar, voice, and electronics, I am also an electric bassist and percussionist.
I enjoy community-building. I was the executive director of a two-day improvisational arts festival in 2017, I am a lead educator at Appleton’s Mile of Music Festival, and I worked in marketing at the Blue Room Jazz Club and American Jazz Museum in Kansas City, MO.
I am comfortable programming, booking, budgeting, and marketing. I have curated smaller shows as well as my own gigs! I know how to set up and tear down and communicate and make things happen. I strive to design artistic experiences and products that elevate both consumers and collaborators.
I graduated from Lawrence University with a BA in music in June of 2018. I am grateful for the resources, mentors, and friends. I have performed with the Jazz Band and the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos 1 and 2, the Improvisation Group of Lawrence University (IGLU), Gamelan Cahaya Asri, various chamber groups, and the Percussion Ensemble, performing with the Brazilian drumming group Sambistas, the Ewe drum and dance group Kinkaviwo, and leading the Afro-Cuban Ensemble Tambo Toké. I also worked on the Conservatory Tech Crew as a Stage Manager, Sound Engineer, Videographer, and Score Reader.
I am an aspiring musicologist. I started to co-direct the Afro-Cuban Ensemble after I obtained grant funding to execute a 30 day research trip to study Afro-Cuban folkloric music in Cuba (specifically in Havana and Matanzas). I studied voice and percussion intensively and interviewed many musicians and religious figures, recording and documenting 150 songs in the Santería tradition. For my honors thesis I published a paper and presented a lecture-recital that focused on my experience and research.
Besides teaching Afro-Cuban music, I also have experience teaching guitar and electric bass, coaching bands, new music ensembles, free improvisation, and leading Balinese Gamelan workshops.
I also speak and write fluently in Spanish, which can be useful. I am always working on my communication skills in English as well.
I would love to collaborate and create with you!
