About Me

 I grew up in Coppell, TX, where I attended Coppell High School and played in ensembles under the direction of Gerry Miller, Kim Shuttlesworth, and Adrian Caswell. I also played in ensembles directed by Jeremy Lindquist in my time at Coppell Middle School North. Currently, I attend the University of Texas at Austin, and am expected to graduate from the Butler School of Music in May of 2026 with my Bachelor's in Instrumental Music Education. At UT, I studied clarinet under Professor Jonathan Gunn, Dr. Abbey Young from the West Point Band, and Dr. Hank Landrum from the Charleston Symphony. I performed in a variety of ensembles such as the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra, and also marched four years in the Longhorn Band. Outside of school, I was a marching tech for the McCallum High School Marching Band for three years, which made UIL 5A State Finals in 2025. I am currently completing my student teaching at Vandegrift High School and Four Points Middle School.

I am proficient in softwares such as Pyware, Musescore, and Logic Pro X. I also have an intermediate understanding of audio hardware and experience using audio interfaces and microphones.

 Teaching Philosophy

As a music educator, I believe that learning how to perform, describe and create music are all integral parts of a complete education, and I believe that it is my responsibility to provide students with opportunities to learn these things in and outside of the classroom. The goal is that students in my classroom become more proficient in their analytical, compositional, and playing abilities in order to better connect with other people and the world around them, and that through their musical experiences, they also become more responsible, respectful, and compassionate individuals. It is also important to me that students leave my class with an interest in engaging in music outside of an educational setting, whether it means exploring and listening to different kinds of music or attending concerts. While I envision my classroom being focused around playing music, I also think that providing students with opportunities to analyze and discuss the music that we are playing with me and one another and to explore their own musical interests with my guidance can help create an inclusive environment where students feel individually valued. 

Through my growth as a teacher and becoming a more observant student, I have learned that one of the most important parts of teaching is keeping students engaged. In my classroom, I aim to keep students engaged by always trying to make my teaching as efficient as possible and having them play as much as they can. I also believe that being goal oriented is incredibly important in the motivation of students; sitting in a rehearsal going through the motions of playing without a clear goal can stunt progress and effort. Students will always be made aware of what they should be working on so that they themselves can hear the progress that they are making. Along with these two things to keep students engaged, students will also constantly be assessing themselves and their peers. Not only will this make sure that they are paying attention, but it will build their listening skills and abilities to analyze their own playing. This ties into my belief that music making should be a collaborative process, not just one where I stand in front of the class and lecture. 

I am a strong believer in students singing and speaking as a way to understand music. I have had several experiences with middle schoolers who have never done this before; there was an instance where I wanted my middle school brass students to play their staccato notes shorter, but they just weren’t able to do it even with my modeling. I then asked them to say the articulations on “ta”, and once they were able to do that right, I had them play it the same way they sang it. This solved the problem immediately, and I think this concept could be applied to any musical context, whether it be learning to play with the correct articulation or learning to play in tune. Singing and speaking is something that I will utilize in my classroom a lot because I have seen how efficient it can be in teaching students how to listen and play better. 

My goal for my classroom environment is one that is inviting, collaborative, and fun. I will always be working at improving my teaching and evaluating myself based on how well students are achieving the goals that I have for them. Through gratifying musical experiences and active participation in music making, my students will learn responsibility and teamwork while also becoming better musicians, departing my class with new social and musical skills that will help them be successful in the future.