Teacher

Author of The Expressive Engagement Series @ https://books.by/expressive-engagement

I help artists use the body's design to build vocal resilience—linking movement, breath, and story so their voice and storytelling come alive with expressive power that connects deeply and moves audiences. Based in Las Vegas since 1989, I pair Licensed Body Mapping Educator (ABME) expertise with vocology and an advanced degree in Vocal Performance to turn training into small, repeatable wins through Deliberate Practice.

"I wondered if I'd ever sing again. At first it was a crushing thought." In 2020, I lost my voice for nearly a full year. Students insisted we keep training through writing. As coaching moved from my classrooms and studio to the page, I rebuilt with kindness, encouragement, and determination. During that silent season, I saw two persistent hurdles: stalled progress between lessons and post-isolation stage fright. Those sparks ignited the Expressive Engagement Series—teacher-ready workbooks and student journals with plug-and-play assignments, customizable practice plans, listening labs, rubrics, progress trackers, and recording prep sheets. Teachers gain frameworks they can implement immediately; students maintain momentum on their own.

Onstage and off, I collaborate across the production ecosystem—directors, choreographers, designers, stage managers, casts, pit musicians, and technical teams—so every cue and breath serves the story. This comprehensive perspective shapes my teaching: respectful collaboration, expressive freedom paired with solid technique, and clear mind-body connection.

I cross borders by choice and by play—between genres (choir, Contemporary Commercial Music [CCM], musical theatre...), between languages (hello, hola, ciao, merci, konnichiwa…), and between kitchen counters and rehearsal rooms (global flavors included). Raised in Idaho and rooted in Las Vegas, I've taught across the American West and Pacific, spent seasons in Southeast Asia and Europe, and traveled through nearly every U.S. state. We've hosted exchange students from Brazil and Japan—now cherished as our own children—keeping my work culturally fluent and people-first.

I love leading masterclasses as a guest in other teachers' studios, validating their work and sharing field-tested systems that lighten their load. I also coach students through professional recording sessions—from pre-production through takes and edits—so their best work transfers to the mic and finished recording.

My work centers on faith, family, and service. I mentor performing artists and teachers to carry growth between lessons through deliberate practice—small daily pages, fast debriefs, measurable gains. Students seek me out for calm clarity, genuine encouragement, and systems that carry from lesson to practice to stage—so they can communicate what's true and move people, one expressive phrase at a time.

If you're building courageous, healthy performance in your studio or community, let's connect.