Here's a little bit of what I do!
In March 2023, I was thrilled to host pianist and music educator, Dr. Pablo Martinez, to give a guest masterclass and recital for my students. We ended the night by performing a few tunes in Spanish. Dr. Martinez and I have closely collaborated on concerts of Spanish and Latin American music to promote this underrepresented repertoire and to give audiences an emotionally intense experience. This last song, Lejos de ti, has been a favorite of mine for years. "Far from you, life is martyrdom: without happiness, without light. It's a cruel existence, crazy delirium, because I'm missing you."
Now for something very different, here's a trailer of "A Voice of One's Own" (2022), an opera collaboration that I directed with Amanda Martikainen as composer, and Elizabeth Doss as co-librettist. This abstract performance is inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning's epic poem, Aurora Lee, but it is also about my story in my artistic journey, seeking my creative voice despite the obstacles from the world and the doubts in my own head. My students were invited to a vocal improvisation workshop, where we talked about our dreams, wrote them down, and then sang them out loud, all together. I recorded this, and the students' work became part of the electronic soundscape of the piece. Lastly, the students were invited to sing a song during the live performance that symbolizes the main character's awakening to her inner voice. I'm grateful for my students for inspiring me to be daring in what I create!
On August 27th, 2023, I gave my farewell concert to my Houston students! I have tried to instill the joy of making music in my students through fun activities like improvisation and composition, and by guiding them to repertoire that they truly enjoy. This performance was me sharing my joy! I know I will be back often to visit, and I hope I can watch these young musicians grow through the years. I'm ready for new beginnings in San Diego, and I'm taking my joy with me!