Voice Pedagogue and Music Director

Voice is one of the key markers of identity, and that shapes the way how I speak, sing, communicate, and teach voice. I believe that teaching voice is fundamentally about empowering people to discover, develop, and trust their own voices. While healthy vocal technique provides the foundation, my ultimate goal as an educator is to help students cultivate agency, confidence, and authenticity as artists and communicators. Every singer brings a unique combination of experiences, identities, aspirations, and ways of learning into the studio. My role is to create an environment where those differences are recognized as strengths and where students are equipped with the tools to express themselves freely and sustainably. Empowerment begins with understanding rather than imitation. I encourage students to become active participants in their own learning by exploring how their individual instrument functions instead of striving to reproduce a single "ideal" sound. Through evidence-based vocal pedagogy, anatomy, acoustics, and sensory exploration, students develop the knowledge and self-awareness to make informed artistic and technical choices. I want singers to leave my studio not only with stronger voices but with the confidence to adapt, problem-solve, and continue growing long after formal instruction ends. My own journey as a vocalist has shaped this philosophy. As a classically trained singer, I graduated into the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, when recording contemporary commercial music became the primary way to make music. Learning to translate classical technique across genres challenged many assumptions I had held about vocal training and led me to investigate the shared physiological principles that support healthy singing regardless of style. This exploration became deeply personal through my study of language and resonance. While learning Korean in an adoptee heritage language course, I began to understand vowel production and articulation in entirely new ways. Because I experience auditory processing difficulties that affect phonetic perception, I often learn most effectively through visual and kinesthetic means rather than auditory imitation alone. Revisiting concepts from vocal diction classes through this perspective transformed abstract ideas into embodied understanding as I experimented with vowel shapes, resonance sensations, and vocal tract adjustments across multiple genres. These experiences fundamentally changed how I teach. They reinforced that students do not all learn in the same way, and that meaningful instruction requires flexibility, curiosity, and responsiveness. In my teaching, I integrate auditory, visual, kinesthetic, and tactile approaches so students can discover the methods that best support their own learning. Rather than positioning myself as the sole authority, I see the teacher-student relationship as a collaborative process of inquiry in which both observation and experimentation are valued. Teaching across classical, musical theatre, and contemporary commercial styles has further strengthened my belief that versatility empowers artists. Rather than treating genres as isolated techniques, I help students understand the transferable physiological principles that allow them to move between styles with confidence while maintaining vocal health. This cross-genre approach encourages adaptability, creative exploration, and artistic independence—qualities that are increasingly essential in today's musical landscape. Equally important is creating learning spaces where students feel safe to take risks and bring their whole selves into the artistic process. My teaching is grounded in inclusive, identity-affirming, and trauma-informed practices that recognize the voice as deeply connected to personal identity, culture, and lived experience. Whether working with beginning singers, aspiring professionals, community ensembles, or individuals exploring gender-affirming voice work, I seek to foster an atmosphere of respect, curiosity, and belonging that allows students to develop not only technical skill but also confidence in their own expressive potential. As both an educator and artist, I believe the voice is more than an instrument—it is a means of connection, advocacy, and self-discovery. Empowering voices extends beyond producing beautiful singing. It means helping students find the confidence to communicate and collaborate authentically and engage with the communities around them. My goal is to help students develop not only exceptional vocal technique but also the agency, curiosity, and resilience to become lifelong artists whose voices reflect who they are and the stories they choose to tell.