Artistic Statement

Artistic Statement

I spent my 13th birthday in the ER after getting hit in the knee during a routine Bobby Socks Softball at-bat. I was 100% certain that 60 mph foul ball had destroyed, not just my most important birthday, but also, my entire life. Everything that happens to you as a teenager is high-stakes and all-consuming. 20+ years later the dramatics seem absurd in the grand scheme of the world, but when I write words or music for characters, my goal is always to elevate those high-stakes, ever-changing emotions and perspectives that still live inside each of us. Whether I’m writing for a rag-tag crew of ants looking for a mythical Twinkie or a caretaker of abused teens just trying to survive in this world - the process is the same. What is critically important to this character, right now?

As a long-time educator in South & East Los Angeles and with a decade+ career as a dancing french hornist in “Blast!,” I gravitate towards quirky all-ages humor designed to bring lightness and honesty to important themes, as well as more serious, socially important works using a soaring orchestral sound and a touch of comedy. Complex and inspiring female protagonists are incredibly satisfying to write and I’m always into using musicians on stage if it serves the story.