I was hired as the organist of Christ Church Calgary—whose choir is a regular guest at Westminster Abby—before I had formal organ training. I’ve developed a conflict resolution and negotiation workshop which I have shared with hundreds of young musicians through the Kennedy Center, San Francisco Conservatory, and the Association for Opera in Canada.

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Earlier in my career I focused most of that entrepreneurial energy on performing and on learning to understand classical music more deeply. I worked as a music director, pianist, organist, vocal coach, arranger, and occasional composer.

But more recent events—starting with living in Richmond, Virginia months after the deadly Unite the Right rally in nearby Charlottesville—have forced me to confront my position as a visible minority working in classical music. I started reflecting on my own experiences with the white supremacy of classical music and institutions. I felt less and less comfortable continuing to engage with these institutions—and thereby perpetuating oppression—without also doing something tangible change them.

My solution was BIPOC Voices. At the intersection of my entrepreneurial spirit, my deep love of music, and my burning desire to nurture anti-racism, the goals of BIPOC Voices energize me. BIPOC Voices helps people program works for solo voices and instruments by diverse composers.

Today, I am learning to balance my pre-pandemic work as a Music Director and pianist with my post pandemic roles teaching entrepreneurship and business for musicians at McGill University, and developing BIPOC Voices.