I teach kids about making cool noises and try not to nerd out too much about music.

Lol I've been working with children for over a decade, currently teaching middle school music in an urban school (and yes, I love it). I miss traveling, I did it a lot in college. I'm big on giving back, especially through volunteer work (Save A Child's Heart and La Choza Chula are two great organizations I've worked with).

Outside of teaching:
-Surfing (there are actually some pretty decent breaks in Rhode Island!).
-Percussionist with The American Band (oldest community band in the United States!)

Interests

• music
• classical music
• surfing
• teaching
• religion
• musical theatre
• marching band

Music, Movies, and Books

I've been on a musical theatre kick for the last year or so...I LOVE Dear Evan Hansen (saw it twice!) and Hamilton (saw it too!), but also In the Heights, the Music Man, Fiddler on the Roof...I could go on for ages.

Favorite all time book is The Drifters by James Michener. That book inspired me to travel.

I do music arranging/orchestration as a hobby (and maybe someday a Master's degree?!), I'm a huge nerd about the way music is put together and how it's created; I love the whole process from composition (which I suck at, much better with arranging) to performance. My hero is the guy who orchestrated/arranged the music for Dear Evan Hansen/Hamilton/In The Heights (Alex Lacamoire!)

Love classical music - Dvorak, Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams, Holst
Modern band rep is awesome too

Instruments I play*: percussion, baritone, violin, guitar, piano, ukulele, steel drums, trombone, bass, flute

*disclaimer: some instruments I play better than others...

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

I volunteered with Save A Child's Heart in Israel in 2013. It's an organization that brings children from developing areas of the world to Israel for treatment of heart conditions - was an incredible, life changing experience.

Teach, Learn, Share

Well I'm a music teacher, so I'm very much into the sharing of musical knowledge. I really do love my job, and I learn a great deal from it. I do a daily fact with my students, and it's helping me build up quite a repertoire of music trivia in all genres - classical, opera, musical theatre, rock, rap, hip hop, jazz, country. I play a whole bunch of instruments too!

I'm fascinated by religion. I'm a reform Jew, and I love exploring my own roots but also other religions as well, in particular I'm interested in the Abrahamic religions.

I love old things, and get a kick out of exploring. There's a ton of old stuff in New England; old cemeteries and buildings, things like that. I recently discovered that the first mayor of New York City is buried right by my neighborhood! (yes that kind of thing excites me) I definitely prefer the old stuff I encountered in the Middle East.

Countries I’ve Visited

Belgium, Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Guatemala, Israel, Jordan, Switzerland, Turks and Caicos Islands

Countries I’ve Lived In

Israel, United States