More About Me

I didn’t set out to become a musical theatre songwriter.  In fact, I went to school for international development, then spent a decade as an upper elementary school teacher in Washington, DC.  I loved those jobs, but I discovered along the way that I find the deepest sense of joy and fulfillment when I’m at the piano putting a new song together.  I’ve realized that I want to write songs for the rest of my life and write great songs for theatre and other contexts that use music to tell stories, illuminate truths, and enrich people’s lives.

My North Star as a songwriter is--does this piece bring joy and/or deepen my understanding of human experiences?  These are the types of songs toward which I gravitate as a listener: songs that inspire laughter, evoke feelings of connection or empathy, and make us feel more alive.  In my work, I strive for emotional nuance, a satisfying narrative arc, lyrical dexterity and specificity, and attention to compositional details.  Perhaps most of all, though, I like to write toward questions--toward mysteries that might haunt or enrapture a character, toward moments rich with emotional texture and ideas.