Music has been my lifelong companion and teacher. My earliest training as a classical pianist taught me the value of discipline, patience, and rigor—that big performance goals are achieved one small, intentional, curated step at a time. As a songwriter, musician, and professor, I’ve spent decades in a state of creative flow, translating emotion into art and helping others discover their own voice.

Leaving my tiny hometown of Portales, New Mexico for graduate study at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University taught me the power of risk: stepping into the unknown can open life-expanding opportunities.  Later, when I moved to Nashville on a hunch, I learned that harnessing your courage and following inspiration can transform your life.  Within weeks, that move lead to a teaching role at Vanderbilt University that I continue to cherish. There, I launched Vanderbilt’s first songwriting course and grew it into a thriving program serving thousands of students, many of whom have gone on to become leading voices in the music industry.

When I became the caregiver for both of my parents with Alzheimer’s—a season that pushed me to the edge of exhaustion and self-doubt—I knew I needed something new, something transformative. It was during this time that I found iPEC and became a certified executive and life coach. Coaching reminded me of a truth I had almost forgotten: That no matter how challenging the season, change is always possible.