Year Joined the Band: 2010
Favorite Esquires Tune: The Coffee Song – For obvious reasons. There are also favorites songs that I will forever strive to sing at a level of the greats: All the Things You Are, Murder, He Says!, Mack the Knife, I Left My Heart in San Francisco…
Musical Influences: The King of Clarinet, Artie Shaw! With a little variety, here goes: Helen O’Connell, Anita O’Day, Leslie Feist, Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Rosemary Clooney, Norah Jones, Sam Cooke, Joni Mitchell, Peggy Lee, Barbara Morrison, Miss Ella Fitzgerald (circa 1935).
Studying / Profession: I earned my B.A. in Communication and minor in Ethnomusicology from U.C. Santa Barbara in 2010 and went straight to music everything. I am the Marketing & Development Director for Kings and Clowns, Inc. – an educational nonprofit focused on providing access to high quality arts education for elementary level students in Southern California.
Hobbies: Outside of singing, I enjoy teaching young pianists. I love drinking coffee on off-gig weeks, tinkling the ivories, attending concerts, and living the beautiful California life.
A Little Something About You: As a South Bay native, I’ve known the Esquires since I was 12. Growing up, I performed and competed both locally and internationally so I was introduced to many musicians. At times that included a few of the well-rounded Esquires! I’ve always enjoyed songwriting and performing in many genres (soul, funk, jazz, alternative rock), but my eyes were only recently opened to the classic swing era once I graduated from college.
Best Part of Being an Esquire: Having the opportunity to share this era of music with those who might know little about it to those who know it inside and out. Though what I love the most about the Esquires is that I am surrounded by an incredibly talented group of people who, no matter what age or level of experience, strive to improve as musicians. They constantly challenge me to become a stronger performer and vocalist.