Academic Work
As a Masters of Music student, I strive to be a proactive, adaptable and continuously learning academic. I firmly believe in the importance of equal access, opportunity and education for all students and am unwaveringly committed to staying informed on the latest advancements and trends in music. I strive to contribute to musical communities through individualized mentorship and direct engagement in music academia.
While I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Northeastern University, I excelled in ethnomusicology coursework and research. I have demonstrated a strong aptitude for grasping new ideas and integrating them in a multicultural environment, which has been further honed through my employment as an ethnomusicology researcher and professor's assistant.
Graduate Work and Employment:
San Jose State University
I am currently pursuing a Masters in Music, Musicology at San Jose State University, with my coursework focusing in jazz studies and scholarly research.
In addition to my ongoing program, I am also employed as a Graduate Assistant within the SJSU School of Music. Under the direction of Dr. Gwendolyn Mok, I support the instruction of over 80 undergraduate students enrolled in the "Music Appreciation" course.
Graduate Assistant
August 2024 - Current
August 2024 - Current
Assist in teaching course “Music Appreciation”
as graduate student contact and mentor.
Undergraduate Employment:
Northeastern University
As a professor’s assistant for the courses “World Music” and “Music and the Racial Imagination,” I was able to lead and encourage discussions that would challenge the students’ personal views and guide their development as informed musicians.
I continued on to collaborate with my professors on two projects as a researcher (“Desegregating Music in Boston Public Schools” and “Black Violin: The Racialization of an Instrument”). I was able to address disparities beyond my own social and academic circles. Each project taught me how I could aid others through ethnomusicological archive research, interviews, and detailed annotation.
Professor's Aide in Ethnomusicology
Spring Semester 2021
Spring Semester 2021
Assist in teaching courses: “Music & the Racial Imagination” and
“Topics in World Music”.
Student contact and mentor.
Student
Researcher
Oct 2021 - May 2022
Researcher
Oct 2021 - May 2022
"Desegregating Music Education in Boston K-12 Schools"
Assistant Researcher
May 2022 - Sep 2022
May 2022 - Sep 2022
Jun 2023 - January 2024
"Black Violin: The Racialization of an Instrument"
Undergraduate Work:
Northeastern University
Northeastern University
B.A. in Music, Concentration in Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies
In 2022, I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Minor in Songwriting, Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Specifically, I concentrated in Ethnomusicology and Jazz Studies by carefully selecting specialized courses.
Topics such as "Music and the Racial Imagination," "Divas, DJ's and Double Standards: Gender in Music," and "Songs that Made History" cemented my love and passion for ethnomusicology. At the same time, I sought out to study the jazz genre with courses, "Jazz Improvisation," "Jazz Big Band Ensemble" and an independent study in Jazz Music Theory.
Inspired by this and my experience as a female jazz vocalist and soloist, I dedicated my final semester to developing my senior thesis, titled "The Jazz Gender Gap: Identifying Gender Inequalities Within a Music Culture". The full paper is available upon request.
THE JAZZ GENDER GAP:
IDENTIFYING GENDER INEQUALITIES WITHIN A MUSIC CULTURE
ABSTRACT
Jazz has been known as a male-dominated field throughout its history and remains so in contemporary life, to the extent that female players are a rarity. Even when present in jazz, most often as pianists or vocalists, women have a greater likelihood to discontinue their participation in the genre over time. This research paper aims to identify reasons for the lack of female participation by investigating the socialization and discourse surrounding jazz culture. Ultimately, jazz music maintains the enculturation of social processes that distinguish women away from the male majority and leads to their isolation and exclusion. Citing the work of Sarah Caissie Provost, Erin L. Wehr and others, this paper focuses on identifying social patterns, synthesizing existing knowledge of the jazz gender gap, and evaluating the potential to change discriminatory social norms. Results from this research show that jazz music’s culture is extremely masculinized, as seen in typical jazz canons and instrument selections or spaces. Additional findings regarding jazz playing and performance reveal that adding gender as a form of appraisal guarantees difficulty for female musicians regardless of their skill and style. The male canonization of jazz, perceptions of instruments and the voice, and the concepts of gendered playing and improvisation are proposed together to challenge the canonical image of jazz and its notion that social status has no effect on true musicianship.
I was admitted to present my research findings at the National 2022 Issues in Contemporary Jazz Conference and the Northeastern University RISE Conference. I was also honored as the recipient of the College of Arts, Media and Design Student Undergraduate Creative and Research Project Award, which is the highest award presented to an undergraduate student by the college. Within the Music Department, I was awarded the Judith Tick Award for Excellence in Music Scholarship following both my thesis and focus on ethnomusicology work. The official posting of these awards can be found here.
Undergraduate Work:
Berklee Online and Las Positas College
Berklee Online and Las Positas College
Professional Certificate in Vocal Technique and Musicianship
As my focus in music began to grow, I attended Berklee College of Music Online in 2019 and earned a Professional Certificate in Vocal Technique and Musicianship. I excelled in my courses, which included Vocal Technique, Ear Training, and "Popular Singing Styles: Developing Your Sound". I was honored to be the recipient of the Celebrity Online Scholarship, sponsored by industry leader and three-time Grammy Award winner, fifteen-time nominee Steve Vai. I completed the certificate with a 4.0 GPA, making the Dean's List for every term I attended.
A.A. in Liberal Arts, Emphasis in the Arts and Humanities
I received my Associate of Arts in the Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in the arts and humanities, from Las Positas College in 2018. Maintaining a consistent 4.0 GPA, I took active roles in my music courses, such as the Vocal Jazz ensemble "Vocal East" and featured as a vocalist with the Jazz Big Band. I was awarded the "Outstanding Practice and Preparation" Music Department Award and graduated a semester early.