My music education philosophy is centerd around the idea that all people are musical, creative beings. If you have a heartbeat, you have rhythm, if you can make a sound, you have a song.

My deep passion for education lead me to pursue a Masters Degree in Education at Simon Fraser University. Over the years I have been a faculty member at Capilano University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the VSO School of Music where I taught improvisation, jazz theory, jazz history, popular music history, rudiments, jazz combo and bass lessons.

And I was the creator and Artistic Director of the VSO School of Music Summer Jazz Workshop and the VSO School of Music GIrls' Jazz Day and have been a guest adjudicator and clinician at many festivals, colleges, universities, and conferences across Canada.

As well as an extensive background as a jazz educator, I was involved in teaching early childhood music classes for over 15 years. My methodology included a combination of Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze, Montessori and Suzuki philosophies of music education and my areas of interest include arts-based research, music inquiry, embodied educational practices, attachment, improvisation, phenomenology and creativity.

As a bandleader/composer, I have been nominated for multiple JUNO awards and was the recipient of the 2019 Western Canadian Music Award Jazz Artist of the Year, the 2008 National Jazz Award for Bassist of the Year, and the 2007 National Jazz Award for Bassist, Album and Group of the Year.