Learning music through mindfulness.
My Teaching Philosophy
I believe that every student is unique and learns best when that individuality is celebrated. I teach the way that I do because I want my students to have the confidence that I often lacked growing up and because I want them to know all the things I wish I’d known when I was their age.
Being a musician is more than just playing the right notes at the right time. It’s about hard work, passion, and dedication, but it’s also about playfulness, creativity, and joy. My goal is to create a safe space in which every student has the opportunity to express themselves and develop the musical tools that will allow them to do so effectively. I place special importance on relaxation techniques and mindfulness practices that not only enable students to perform better but also allow them to enjoy playing more. I am also a huge advocate for rest - it is such an important part of the learning process and it is essential to becoming a balanced musician (and human!).
I offer my students the opportunity to lead and be responsible for their own learning. More interested in beatboxing than orchestral excerpts? You got it! Want to focus on high notes and tone this week instead of fast fingers? Let’s do it! Want to learn that crazy hard piece you heard Jasmine Choi play on Youtube? I’m game if you are - and you’ll be more motivated and learn faster because of it. I encourage my students to examine what concepts they are avoiding and why (hint: it’s probably because it’s hard), and to really nail the basics. With this approach, students learn to teach themselves, improving dramatically in the process.
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My Lafayette studio
Students perform in twice yearly recitals and monthly masterclasses, and everyone participates in our weekly and monthly etude challenges (myself included!). There are monthly prizes for those who practice the most regularly, and I strongly recommend every student participate in our studio flute choir on Thursday evenings.
During lessons, I often compare concepts to other activities my students know and love - their favorite sport, video games, or books. I love sharing my “magic tricks” - shortcut exercises to make tricky passages instantly easier, and you’ll definitely catch me encouraging my students to listen, listen, listen! Every genre of music has something different you can learn and it adds to your own creative toolkit.

I expect students to practice regularly and thoughtfully - seeking to play their very best and working to improve every time they pick up their instrument. Consistent practice and preparedness is a vital part of being a successful musician and allows us to use our lesson time to progress and have fun, rather than repeat and get bored. While we take lessons seriously, we also make sure to have a good time - just wait till you are practicing your next recital piece for my (mostly) dinosaur friends!
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Woo!

Awesome!
My Story
I come from a musical family; my two older brothers are also professional musicians (they play guitar and saxophone), and my mom was a serious pianist through college. I felt a lot of pressure to be “good” but, like everyone who picks up a new instrument, I didn’t master it in a day. I like to remind my students that I was once right where they were at every step of the learning process. To quote Jake the Dog in Adventure Time, "[Being bad] at something is the first step to being sorta good at something."
I started playing flute in fourth grade (at Burton Valley Elementary, for you Lamorinda locals) - my dad's deep love of the band Jethro Tull may have slightly influenced my instrument choice. I started taking private lessons the next year, and music quickly took over most of my extracurricular life.
My second summer at music camp, I got to play the big, beautiful solo at the beginning of Faure’s Pavane in the orchestra. I was terrified, but being an integral part of a group of people making this extraordinary music was so worth it. From that moment on I knew that I wanted to be an orchestral flutist. I did it all: (more) music camp, youth orchestra, before and after school jazz bands, recitals, CMEA, honor bands, auditions, whatever I could.


In college, I majored in flute performance. Facing new challenges, suddenly I found myself competing for ensemble placement and solos with other music-obsessed students just like me. I had to put in more time and effort in the practice room and learn to take harsher criticism from my peers and professors. I also started to realize that I had difficulty focusing in practice sessions, rehearsals, even lessons, though I didn't know yet how to manage my it.
I also didn't know yet how to manage my increasing anxiety, both in flute playing and life in general. I did notice, however, that my flute playing sounded (and felt) much better when I expressed those feelings than when I bottled them up, and that I was often holding tension in my body that I did not realize was there.
After graduating, I started my masters degree (also in flute performance). I was incredibly dedicated and put my all into school but, after finishing all of my coursework, my master’s recital, and placing 2nd in a big competition, I burned out. I had poured everything I had into music, and I sounded amazing, but I was also incredibly stressed and anxious. With no social outlet aside from the musicians I saw at and outside of school all day, I never had a break. It’s a bit of a tragedy, and I think I’ll always be a little embarrassed about it, but I never finished the one last thing I needed to finish my masters - my exit exam.
Instead, I started working as an administrator at a music school, and then I started teaching. I learned to balance my musical life, which was still vitally important, with my non-musical life. In teaching, I found immense satisfaction and joy in sharing my love and knowledge of music, and I was able to connect to my students in a way my teachers never quite had with me: directly and compassionately addressing anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and focus issues that affect students' ability to play their best. ​I could teach my students to work through their struggles using their instrument the same way I had; helping them work through all the hard parts and find the joy in playing their instrument.
When I tell my “musical life” story, it leaves out all of the struggles I had outside of music. Music has always been a safe space for me to explore and be myself, but outside of the band room I was absolutely in the “weird kid” camp. I liked books and anime and drawing. Social interactions were hard for me - I always felt like I said the wrong thing (sometimes I did!) and I was a bundle of nerves in group situations. I had to fight to pay attention in classes I wasn’t as interested in and, as with many teenagers, I thought I knew everything (spoiler: I did not), which made me pretty insufferable sometimes. Music was the thing that not only got me through all that, but helped me learn to make my faults work for me. Music focused my attention, humbled me, gave me context in social situations, and most importantly, music allowed me to excel while being unashamedly myself. When I teach, my goal is to help my students excel in the same way, and to instill in them the deep love of music that brings the joy I have found in my own life.


Studied with...
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Linda Lukas (San Francisco Symph.)
Master of Music, Flute Performance
San Francisco State University
(All coursework completed 2010)
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Eva Amsler (Tallahassee Symphony)
Bachelor of Music, Flute Performance
Cum Laude
Florida State University, 2008
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Rhonda Cassano (Jacksonville Symphony)
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Patrice Hambelton (Berkeley Symphony)
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Taught/Coached with...
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Golden Gate Philharmonic
San Francisco
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Cazadero Music Camp
Cazadero, CA
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Diablo Wind Symphony
Concord, CA
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Ciaro High School
Cairo, GA
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Bay Area High Schools:
Acalanes High School
Las Lomas High School
Dougherty Valley High School
Clayton Valley Charter High School
My Credentials
Have performed with...
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Symphony Parnassus
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Bay Area Rainbow Symphony
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New Hammer Concert Band
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Old First Concerts
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San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra
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Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra
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Berkeley Youth Orchestra
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Member of...
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The National Flute Association
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(Alumni of) Sigma Alpha Iota
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Competitions ​
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Wesley Farrand Day Duo Competition​
Second Place (2010)
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Jacksonville Symphony Youth Orchestra Winner, Concerto Competition (2004)​
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Berkeley Youth Orchestra
Winner, Concerto Competition (2000)
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Experience in...
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Flute and Music Performance Pedagogy
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Body awareness techniques (Feldenkrais, Alexander technique, body mapping)
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Psychology (Cognitive behavioral therapy, etc.)
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Mindfulness & Meditation
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Yoga

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