The Full Story

My journey playing piano started in late 2009, puttering at my dad’s old Casio keyboard and finding tunes by ear. I first started lessons at the Lesson Factory (Guitar Center), which were unsatisfactory. They provided what felt like a one-size-fits-all structure and progress was slow on pieces I never wanted to learn in the first place. I studied with them for 3 months before quitting and teaching myself. I had learned a little about reading music and I used that to teach myself a piece from the film Spirited Away, One Summer’s Day by Joe Hisaishi, over the course of the next year.

In early 2011, I felt ready to start lessons again, and this time my dad found an independent teacher, Katie Coleman. Katie provided a lesson structure that encouraged the pieces I wanted to play while also incorporating important elements of music theory and piano technique. I studied with her from 2011 until I started college in 2016. With Katie I was able to perform at recitals twice a year, a charity performance in 2012, and put on my own solo piano concert before my first term of college in 2016. It was also under Katie’s guidance that I entered and won first place for solo piano in the OMEA District Solo/Ensemble Contest in 2014.

While attending Willamette High School, I had a few opportunities through the choir director, Katie Reuter, to perform as well. I was in her choir class, through which I was given opportunities to accompany. Reuter was also the musical director for the school musicals, which opened the door for me to play piano in the pit for Legally Blonde (while still attending in 2015), Little Shop of Horrors (2016, after graduation), and Peter Pan (2019, after graduation). These were some of my first collaborative musical experiences and a great opportunity to learn music of different styles and play around with sound effects.

I started my studies at Lane Community College as a music major in fall of 2016, studying piano under Sandy Holder. While attending LCC, I made invaluable lifelong friends and musical connections that stick with me to this day.

At LCC I met my friend and colleague Rachel Gabbert, who in early 2021 invited me to join her lesson studio, Music Lessons Eugene, as lead piano instructor, where I had been working until January of 2026. I also had the opportunity to work with Rachel in her non-profit, the Music Education Collection, where we were able to offer scholarships, instruments, and a summer music camp to youth in the community. I also joined Rachel on stage at the Oregon Asian Celebration in 2022 and 2023, representing the Music Education Collective.

In late 2022, I started lessons with Paul Safar, who I am currently studying with. Through Paul I was given the opportunity to assist in a production of his musical, Nisse’s Dream, in early 2023. I’ve also been able to perform more locally, such as joining Paul at his gigs at Tsunami Books. These days, I teach private music lessons and perform at small events throughout the year. My latest musical project was learning to play the accordion. I started practicing accordion consistently in spring of 2025 and played a few sets of 10-15 accordion duets with my friend Sandy Holder over the summer. Alongside the accordion and piano, I also enjoy making music on my computer.

When I first began lessons with Katie in 2011, I also started a YouTube channel to record my progress. As my life got busier at the end of high school and going into college, I suddenly stopped uploading. However, I never really stopped recording myself playing music, and in 2025 I edited and uploaded over 100 old videos from the past 10 years, alongside a few new ones. The channel is small and for my own records, but I hope current and prospective students can also find value in seeing their teacher’s progress and process (and mistakes) from over a decade of playing.