It all began with the book The Musical Life of Gustav Mole by Kathryn Meyrick.  As a 4 year old, I was absolutely captivated by the story and the sound of the violin on the accompanying cassette tape.  I made pretend violins out of tissue boxes and thrilled over the sweeping sound of the string section in pieces of classical music.  My parents, recognizing that this wasn't a fleeting fancy, enrolled me in violin lessons at the age of 5.  It was love at first note. 

Throughout my adolescence, I continued to study the violin and performed with the Manitowoc Youth Symphony and later the Manitowoc Symphony, as well as in quartets and trios.  It wasn't until I was selected for Wisconsin's All State Orchestra during my junior year of high school, that I began to consider music as a career.  It was my first experience playing with other young musicians who were equally dedicated to music as I was.  I realized afresh how much the violin and music meant to me.  It was then that I decided to study the violin and music education in college. I knew that I wanted to dedicate my life to sharing my love of music with others. 

I was accepted into the School of Music at UW Madison, and had the honor of spending four years studying the violin under the careful tutelage of Professor Tyrone Greive.  After four years of hard work, I graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Instrumental Music Education.  To further develop my ability as a music educator, I decided to return to my roots in Suzuki Violin and attended the Suzuki Violin teacher training summer courses at UW Stevens Point.  There I studied under Nancy Lokken and Ann Montzka Smelser.  

Professionally, I have taught elementary music in the Las Vegas and Seattle public schools for the last 7 years.  In addition to teaching elementary music, I taught private violin, viola and cello lessons from my home studio.  As a musician, I play with the St. Croix Valley Symphony Orchestra and love making music with my friends and colleagues. 

In my free time, I love hiking with my husband, reading, quilting and enjoying quiet evenings with friends.