About

When I started college years ago…

I thought I might become a lawyer. I didn’t feel strongly about that particular path, but the broad strokes of it—helping people, pursuing justice, arguing all day—appealed to my teenaged self. When I was a first-year student, however, my piano teacher introduced me to the music of Robert Schumann, and I found myself transfixed. Before I knew it, I’d spent nearly twenty years as a pianist, scholar, and teacher.

Though my professional life has taken a lot of twists and turns, both in and outside the academy, a common thread runs throughout: my desire to connect with people and help them achieve their best. As a pianist, I thrived on my connection with the composers I studied and the audiences I played for. My scholarship is grounded in historical phenomena that speak to composers’ humanity, and deals with them as people, not figureheads. And when I worked as a fundraiser, I focused on building relationships with donors, helping them to understand how valued and impactful their generosity was.

At my core, I am an educator and storyteller. Nothing brings me more joy than connecting the dots for learners of all stripes, distilling complicated topics into something more easily understood and enjoyed. Over the years, I have taught and mentored hundreds of students and given countless lectures and presentations. And now I work as the instructional design team lead for a tech for good company called Virtuous, where I get to make helpful and engaging training content for our nonprofit customers. I come alive when presented with the chance to help learners, wanting nothing more than to share knowledge through clear learning objectives, useful educational resources, and an abiding sense of humor.

After living a nomad’s existence for many years, my husband and I moved to Philadelphia in 2017. We love it here (all hail Gritty), and put down roots in South Philly when we bought a house at the end of 2020. In my spare time, you’ll find me attempting a strength training regimen for the millionth time, rediscovering my love of writing and the piano, immersing myself in a new video game (ask me about my Baldur’s Gate 3 obsession), and watching too much tv. Just…entirely too much.