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Hi, I’m a musician, teacher, mentor and coach

Empowering musicians to create a life in music they love

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Featured Post

The dock, the lake, and Tchaikovsky 5

I was 16 years old. Off to spend four weeks at the Chautauqua Institution high school orchestra. I remember so well the nervous and excited arrival gave way to endless days slipping between music-making and friend-making (and buffalo wings). The dining hall. The lake. The practice rooms. Noticing how good the orchestra was. And how, on the last night, we stayed up on the dock together reliving the last notes of Tchaikovsky 5. I'm still in touch with many of the friends from that summer,...

26 days ago • 6 min read
A powerful chestnut racehorse named "Redemption" wearing number 7 crosses the finish line in first place, its jockey celebrating wildly. In the background, other horses lag behind as a massive, roaring crowd cheers beneath a large stadium scoreboard that

I was a student at the Aspen Music Festival for four summers. I loved that place. I couldn't get enough of the mountains, the energy of my studio, lessons with my teacher Joaquin Valdepeñas, and the incredible music-making. During my first summer though, I placed 19th out of 25 in the screened placement auditions. I remember walking up to the posted results, scanning for my number, and walking away feeling completely disheartened. My first screened audition :( But as the festival went on,...

3 months ago • 4 min read
A peaceful creative workspace with soft sunlight and an open notebook, symbolizing creativity, self-expression, and the idea that permission is not needed to begin.

Hey Reader A couple of weeks ago I had the honor of being on the Fearless Artist Podcast, and having a terrific conversation with pianist and co-founder, Michelle Lynne. Some of you might remember her as 2025 guest speaker here at 360! Within the first few minutes, we were already into it deep. With our shared commitment to the success of music professionals, and knowing that there's often so much uncertainty and self-doubt, I wanted to share one powerful reminder. It's for ALL of us,...

5 months ago • 4 min read
A woman in a green linen shirt and a canvas backpack walks away along a sandy beach path towards a vast, blue ocean on a clear day.

Hey Reader Did you catch Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime show? I'm not a big football fan, like, I only knew which teams were playing a few days ago. But the boys in my family love all the sportsball things, and so we do a hang every year on Super Bowl Sunday. It's really an excuse for Ted to make 2-3 kinds of chili. Anyway... Bad Bunny. He sent the powerful multilingual message of unity: "Together we are America". And addressing every viewer, was this line (in Spanish): "Mi nombre es Benito...

6 months ago • 3 min read
A person with short hair wearing a blue knit sweater sits cross-legged on a mossy log in a lush forest, doing a butterfly hug tap while morning sunlight filters through the trees.

In this letter On Healing Hi friend, We're all walking bundles of so many things. Joy, peace, inspiration. Anxiety, fear, trauma. Sometimes all at the same time. I struggled with what to write today because of the horrific, unsettling and heartbreaking events unfolding in Minneapolis (and beyond). Maybe you're feeling it too—that weight of carrying too much at once. This 360 space being the peaceful community of love, caring, inclusion and support, I want to protect these things as fervently...

6 months ago • 4 min read
A man with dark hair, wearing a brown button-down shirt and grey trousers, stands on a dirt country road with his back to the camera, holding a leather duffel bag and looking out at open green fields.

In this letter On Bravery Last night I asked Ted what I should write about in tomorrow's email. He said, "Tell them your husband's a big loser." We both laughed. But looking over at him, I saw he kind of meant it. After devoting over half his life in orchestras, Ted walked away from the performing side of his career for dream of working on the business side of classical music. Big leap. Terrifying. Right!? Many of you who've been with us will know. he retired to join the Dayton Performing...

6 months ago • 5 min read
A close-up view of a musician's desk where a person in a knit sweater writes in a journal next to an open vintage clarinet case, scattered reeds, and a warm mug by a window looking out at a garden.

In this letter A year to remember | 25 for 25, the clarinet edition In this season of reflection, when the rush settles just enough for us to take a breath, we remember why we started this work in the first place. Not for the programs or the altissimo fingerings or the perfect guest line-ups. But for the people. For you. This year asked more of us than we expected. In the spring, I stepped away to care for my sister during her final months. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and the...

7 months ago • 3 min read

In this letter 25 of the most useful ideas from 2025 There's a lot of noise at the end of the year about goal setting, becoming your best self, making 2026 the best year yet, or stepping into a "new" you. January 1st can feel like you're supposed to mark some grand transformation, like you're meant to shed your skin and emerge as someone completely different. My extended family in Taiwan follows the lunar calendar, and with it being the end of the year of the Snake, this means it's time to...

7 months ago • 3 min read

In this letter What the Nutcracker taught me about goals(and it's not "do fewer Nutcrackers"!) Just a few days ago I wasn't getting through the first act of Nutcracker without wincing. Tis' the season of holiday doubles with the Cincinnati Symphony: 6 rousing pops, 10 Nutcrackers in five days, 2 nerve impingements and 1... clarinetist down! Some of you are in the thick of 'gigmas' as it's called! My body, which generally has a pretty good amount of tightness from everyday playing, started...

7 months ago • 6 min read

In this letter Your inner voice is the key I'm giving you homework. Before you close this email in protest, read to the end! I promise it won't hurt too much. First of all, it's the kind of homework you do in fuzzy socks with a mug of something warm. It'll actually feel less like work and more like getting to breathe and feel. (Aka your nervous system gets a good rest)! Here's the assignment: Spend 30 minutes between now and the new year asking yourself what you actually want—not as a...

8 months ago • 5 min read