From a very young age, Lisa realized that music would be a driving force in her life. She studied piano for 10 years as a child and was in many choirs and musicals in high school. She discovered that having compassion for others was also something that came naturally to her.
In 1982 she hit the road with a touring band called “Rare Illusion,” an all-girl rock band. They travelled all over the US and Canada until 1989. She then moved to San Diego to follow her dreams of making music where discovered her love for jazz and studied with a private teacher to hone her skills as a singer. She has written original music and performed on several recording projects. Lisa has performed all over San Diego with several top jazz musicians. She was lead vocalist in The California Ballet’s rendition of “The Great Gatsby” in 2015 and 2018. She also has an interest in all-things percussion which led her to become a certified HealthRHYTHMS Group Empowerment Drumming Facilitation Trainer and to take African drumming lessons from Tam Tam Mandingue USA.
Lisa was a licensed Kindermusik educator for 12 years and has been teaching private voice and piano lessons for 20 years. She took her students to assisted living facilities as a way for her and her students to give back to the community. Not only was it a win-win, it helped Lisa realize that she was talented at using music to make a difference with a wide range of people from children to seniors.
Lisa was hired at TERI, Inc. in 2014 as Director of Music for programs serving adults and children with special needs. She developed group lesson plans and created fun and engaging classes for a wide variety of clients with physical and learning disabilities. This work was very fulfilling for her and helped her realize that this population was going to be a very big part of her life. In her 8 years at TERI, Inc. Lisa co-directed many original productions with the Music and Performing Arts Department and composed the music and lyrics for the shows. Her work at TERI was very fulfilling and had a profound effect on her teaching.
“I am excited to bring what I have learned throughout my music career to help my students and everyone around me feel valued, successful and inspired no matter what we are doing. I am passionate about being a teacher and learning from others.”
