MM and BM, Northwestern University
As a piano teacher, my goal is not only to teach music, but also to teach through music - lifelong skills such as patience, discipline, and perseverance that I hope my students will carry with them, regardless of their future pursuits.
Additionally, I have an extensive background in both string performance and teaching, as well as vocal directing and accompanying, and I enjoy coaching and accompanying instrumental and vocal students on an individual basis.
Outside of music, I am an avid runner (having completed the Chicago Marathon twice and hoping to do it again one day), a frequent moviegoer (my favorite genres are crime dramas and horror), and an Asian food connoisseur (the spicier the better!).
My most memorable musical moment was my first performance as pianist with the DePaul Trio, featuring Samuel Magad on violin and Stephen Balderston on cello (both retired members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra). We performed the Mendelssohn D Minor and Brahms B Major trios, and having the opportunity to play these amazing pieces with such incredible musicians and human beings was quite humbling and unforgettable.
As for the piano as an instrument, I am constantly in awe of its versatility across numerous musical genres - no matter who is playing it, whether it's Evgeny Kissin, Billy Joel, Olivia Rodrigo, or Marcus Roberts (all piano artists whom I love), the piano has an incredible ability to tell all kinds of different and amazing musical stories using the same 88 black and white keys.
Since I have a visual impairment (no vision in my left eye), I may only see half of the notes my students play, but since I have absolute pitch, I can hear all of the notes my students play, both correct and incorrect ones.