I started piano lessons at 3 learning to play for church. I have vivid memories of hiding from my piano teacher at our neighbourhood playground before my lessons, because I was far more interested in playing outside than I was playing the piano.
Nevertheless, the lessons continued, and it wasn’t until 9 years later, at the age of 12, I really started to take practicing seriously and even began teaching my own piano students. That same year, I also began to study the harp. My mother selected it for me (and the trumpet for my brother) because they are biblical instruments.
In addition to music, I was involved in many other activities in high school: from debate to drama and nearly everything in between. I even won my state’s science fair one year. Despite my diverse interests, music was always my true love, and I committed myself to studying it in college. The summer after I graduated from high school, I continued my yearly work with young children and spent many afternoons playing tennis with friends. Unfortunately, I had been holding my racquet incorrectly and wound up with fluid build-up in my thumb joint that rendered me temporarily unable to play music. It was a very discouraging time for me, and I decided to give up pursuing music professionally and go to law school instead.
I studied history , then switched back to music, focusing on harp.
I was easily the least-experienced harpist in the studio, but Miss Chalifoux offered, ‘I can give you additional instruction pro bono.’ My mom and I spent every weekend driving 2-hours each way to have a 2-hour lesson at her home. Those lessons with Miss Chalifoux remain precious memories for me. Not only did she teach me so much about music, but she also taught me the value of an excellent ‘antioxidant’ (aka, gourmet chocolate – she was a well-known ‘chocoholic’). We enjoyed each other’s company, and I am honoured she called me her friend. She often joked, ‘I won’t die until you became a great harpist or get married,’ – whichever came first. She died on July 31, 2008, at the age of 100 and 8 months. I still miss her all the time.
I earned degree in music and history then pursed a master in musicology after my teacher accident.
I earned multiple music degree in many music church, harp, and piano then start a PhD in musicology.
After shifting to a Columbia for a doctor education, I found my teaching home and i still teach there performing different events like memorial Sloan Kettering.
The summer after I graduated from Columbia, I also began working at The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, where I received my performance master’s degree; a few years later, I also joined the faculty at Christopher Newport University, and, most recently, at Washington College. I’ve written encyclopedia and journal articles, presented at conferences in the US and abroad, and have been an invited guest speaker at The Juilliard School – so that undergraduate degree in history has been put to good use after all when I write and present!
I have also been so blessed to have performed in venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Centre, The Kennedy Centre, the Smithsonian, and The White House. I’ve collaborated with artists including Renée Fleming, Kristin Chenoweth, Itzhak Perlman, Arturo Sandoval, the Irish Tenors, LeVar Burton, Morgan James, and Katja Herbers, but I still find myself wishing I could ask Miss Chalifoux for advice.
Despite the fact I work at four different institutions in three different states, my students have thankfully managed to stay connected to each other with various harp ensemble performances. Over the years, we have had the Honor of performing for the Governor of Maryland, the First Lady of the United States, televised church services, senior citizens, servicemen and women at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre, and the USO. This week, we will perform at the White House.
My entire life has revolved around music, and COVID-19 wasn’t going to stop me from continuing to perform. As a result, I have both participated in and organized live and/or pre-recorded concerts during this period to spread the healing and hope music can provide to others, just as it does to me.
During covid-19 we had to find new way to connect through virtual performance reaching people in hospital even, while last show wads paused.
One such virtual performance series I’m particularly excited about is a ‘Twelve Days ‘Til Christmas’ video project I developed, where each day I post a video of one of my students and/or me on my social media accounts playing a Christmas carol or song. It has been a great way for my students to connect with and support each other from afar – especially since not all of my students live in the USA – as well as to spread some Christmas cheer to friends, family, and people who might stumble across the music we play.
We are just a few days into the project, but we already have plans to do it again next year! We normally get together at Christmas time for a studio party, but since eating together isn’t safe, we are managing to stay connected in the way that brought us together in the first place with music.
The pandemic has yielded a range of emotions from people around the globe; among them, fear, anger, and sadness, yet one can still find hope, comfort and peace through music. Harp music has been scientifically proven to produce numerous healing effects in the body, what began us helping others also brought us healing.
