“The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes, and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

My La La Land

I'm a romantic girl building a beautiful world one obsession at a time. It all started when I was five years old watching western films with my father. When asked what I wanted to do with my life, my dream was to become a Native American. Someone gave us a pony and I spent the next twenty years in manure.

Then came music, pianos and French.

My parents didn't have a piano. When I was eleven, a piano appeared at my neighbor's house. From that time on, I spent hours there and taught myself as much as I could. I began my formal music education when I started college.

For the French, same concept. I have never lived there, but I often feel like I was born in the wrong place (thanks, Mom). I just decided I really wanted to learn, and exchanged piano lessons for French lessons with a friend. My technique: talk to anyone with a French accent and refuse to switch to English.

I know it's annoying. Don't judge me — I got a few skills out of it.

Skills & Services

Based in Hillsborough, NC. For piano tuning and 'Le Band,' I cover the full Research Triangle area.

Piano and singing lessons

After spending more than twenty years working with students of all ages and abilities, I continue to receive a lot of gratitude and pleasure from being a teacher. It's a simple profession — one person sharing knowledge and expertise, the other receiving insight and inspiration. Many years ago I stumbled upon a quote I have never forgotten: "To teach is to learn." In my experience, this could not be more true. I learn from my students daily and find a lot of satisfaction in building connections with them, some of which have lasted for many years and continue still.

I have enjoyed immense pleasure in seeing my students grow, pursue their passions, and flourish. I continue to take lessons myself, as there is always more to learn. As a young person, music was a good escape for me, and I hope to encourage and motivate any hungry music lover to follow their heart and make music part of life.

I am here to help — it's my job.

Get in touch about lessons

A student smiling at the piano during a lesson

Piano tuning

I hold a Bachelor's in Music from Western CT State University and started tuning pianos in 2018 while working as a piano technician apprentice. I service Hillsborough, Chapel Hill, Durham and Cary. Because tuning is an addition to my teaching, I focus on private residential tuning — no repairs, rebuilding or regulation.

Many pianos that haven't been tuned in a long time will need a pitch raise (a rough tuning) followed by a finer tuning a week or so later. This gets determined at the time of service.

Standard tuning $120

Life is short; I like it full of harmony and happy customers. I offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee or full refund, no questions asked.

Schedule a tuning appointment

Inside a piano during tuning, with a tuning tool in place

'Le Band'

This is my new passion. We revisit the French classics, or anything we love, and perform in your space — a bar, a store, a workplace — transforming it into a beautiful, romantic environment.

My good friend Johnny Wall often joins me on drums and we love playing together as a duo. He is a wonderfully diverse drummer and I'm very lucky to have him on board. Our set list generally consists of classic French tunes by artists such as Edith Piaf, Serge Gainsbourg, Georges Brassens, Françoise Hardy, etc., but we are open to special requests and happy to learn new songs for other occasions.

Je ne regrette rien
Deux amours
Super Nana
La vie en rose
Carmen
La complainte du phoque

Book Le Band for your space