Faculty 

Music & Drama Teacher
Director of Performing Arts/Musical Productions
Senior Class Advisor
Faculty Co-moderator: Performing Arts Boosters Club
Coach:  Varsity Girls Volleyball

Education:  
BA, Music Education & Vocal Performance,  Virginia Tech
MA, Education (K-12), Virginia Tech

Joined Middleburg Academy Faculty: 2010

My greatest ambition for Middleburg Academy’s music program:
I want Middleburg Academy to have a strong, yet flexible, Performing Arts Program.  It needs to have firm roots from which to grow, but also it needs to be able to bend to the changing needs of the students.  I want our program to be a reason students choose to attend Middleburg Academy.  

What I sing when no one is listening:
I perform full operas in the shower.  My shampoo bottles think I’m fantastic.  In particular, I enjoy singing Bizet’s “Carmen” and Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro.”  I’ve also been known to sing the full score to Jason Robert Brown’s “The Last Five Years.” The water bill may suffer from these performances.

Most fun about working with teenagers: 
They are unapologetically honest.  They don’t hide their emotions or their opinions, even if their emotions or opinions are changing by the minute.

What any student can gain from studying music theory:
Understanding something makes it more enjoyable.  We can all listen to the radio, and maybe even sing along, but to hear a cadence or know that the song is minor takes the listener to a much higher level.  No person is too young or too old to enjoy music in a more sophisticated manner.

Performances I staged with my five sisters when we were growing up:
Ha-ha, how did you know to ask???  I thought these would remain a family secret. We staged Disney’s “Aladdin,” which included painting a bathmat and holding auditions.  I was the Genie (who would have thought this would be the start of many male roles?).  We also choreographed the entire “Top Gun” soundtrack, performed an American Girl play (and charged admission), and won a “Grammy” by singing “Honey Bun” from “South Pacific” at a local contest.  Oh, AND still perform the entire Oscar Meyer Weiner song.

Favorite sports:
To play/participate in:  volleyball, skiing, snowboarding, and tennis
To watch:  ice hockey, football, and lacrosse

Why I am starting a Performing Arts Boosters Club:
During my first year, I learned how responsible and self-motivated students are at Middleburg Academy.  I realized they could and would take responsibility for the success of their Performing Arts Program.  My hope is to have even more students involved with the program.  Some students don’t want to perform but they love the arts; this is an opportunity for them to be a part of the department too.