When did you start to get interested in music?

I was very fortunate to have grown up in West Hartford, CT which coincidentally celebrated jazz and jazz education. I saw a young female saxophonist named Erica von Kleist playing at the local high school when I was in fifth grade and I knew I wanted to do the same thing. Because of the great public school music program in my area, I had access to great teachers and programs throughout my early education. My parents are not musicians, but my paternal grandmother played piano on the radio during the Great Depression as a way to provide for her family.

If you were an advertisement, which would your slogan be?

Go out and make it happen!

Which is the part you enjoy the most about music?

I love traveling the world, meeting new people, playing for different audiences, and getting to work with incredibly inspiring friends and artists.

Most artists say that through their art they learn more about themselves, heal injuries… In which aspects has music helped you?

Music has helped me to express myself in ways I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to. I can be very Type-A and focused on work, productivity, etc. Music provides an opportunity to let go and go with the flow. I learn something new every day.

What does music mean to you?

Music is an opportunity to help others experience emotions, whether its joy, sadness, etc. It’s an opportunity to give back to others and do something FOR other people, not yourself.

Who are your idols?

Phil Woods, Cannonball Adderley, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Dick Oatts, Kenny Garrett, so many more!

If you didn’t like music, what would you like to do?

Interior Design/Architecture

Do you consider that nowadays there are more or less opportunities for new artists? Why?

I think with the technology available now there are so many opportunities for self-production and promotion! So in this respect there are more opportunities to get your music out there. But in terms of traditional settings for clubs, venues, tours, and now with COVID, the success in this area has become more difficult.

What would your idyllic life as an artist be like?

To live near the water in New England (or in Italy!) and spend my time outside or practicing and composing and collaborating with others. I would love to keep an apartment in New York City for gigs at my favorite places like the Village Vanguard, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and travel for other exciting gigs and tours around the world. I would love for there to be an education/community engagement component in every gig that I do/trip that I take.