About Me

I started playing the flute when I was 10 years old in our small elementary school band. I really wanted to play the clarinet to be like my aunt who played the clarinet, but I succumbed to peer pressure and decided to play the flute with one of my friends. She said, "You'll have to buy reeds all the time! It will be too expensive." I suppose she appealed to my budding frugal side. As you may be able to guess, I ended up playing the flute. I continued to play and excel, and eventually decided to make a living out of playing the flute.

I attended McNeese State University from 2001-2005 and graduated Summa Cum Laud with my Bachelor of Music degree. I studied with Dr. Judy Hand, and while there, I performed piccolo with the Lake Charles Symphony Orchestra and second flute with the Rapides Sypmphony Orchestra. I participated in competitions and even won one that allowed me to perform the Martin Ballade as soloist with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra my junior year of college. I also took my first (and only so far) trip outside of the United States, to England for a two week course with the world renowned William Bennett.

Upon graduation, I moved to Kansas City to attend the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music for one year. I tell everyone that I just wasn't ready to attend graduate school, but really I missed my boyfriend (future husband) too much. I moved home and I worked and freelanced for awhile.

In 2008 I got the desire to finish my Master of Music degree and auditioned for the University of Houston Moores School of Music. I got in! To kick off my re-entrance into the academic music scene, I attended Jim Walker's Beyond the Masterclass flute course in Los Angeles. It was my first time to California. I had a great time, came home and graduated in December 2009 with my Master of Music degree. That was also the semester I re-auditioned for the Rapides Symphony Orchestra and won the second flute chair. I also became pregnant with my sweet little girl and announced my pregnancy at my Graduate Flute recital. I am a flutist and a mommy. (I am also a labor doula, but that is another conversation for another day!)

While I was attending the University of Houston, I started teaching private lessons in Cy-Fair ISD. After I graduated and gave birth to my daughter, I started teaching in Fort Bend ISD as well. As of this school year, I no longer teach in Cypress, but I still maintain a studio in Sugar Land. I still play second flute with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra, and I also occasionally perform locally as a freelance musician when the opportunity arises.

If you are interested in taking flute lessons at keenflute (at) yahoo (dot) com.