What you do or have done:
My full-time job is, first and foremost, motherhood. I stay home with my two (soon-to-be three!) sons and could not be more blessed to be able to spend my days raising them and taking care of our home.
Outside of motherhood, I write music and perform locally. In the fall of 2023, I released my debut album (titled Change with the Seasons), featuring 11 original songs written and performed by me, and recorded at Audio Atelier Studio in North Mankato, MN. Featuring soft, ethereal vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and strings, and a unique folkinspired compositional style, my music seeks to evoke strong feelings of nostalgia and introspection in listeners.
My summers are filled with gigs – I aim to book around 2-4 gigs a month between May-October, and typically perform at venues such Coffee Hag (Mankato, MN), The Grand (New Ulm), Mankato Brewery (North Mankato, MN), and Pleasant Grove Pizza Farm (Waseca, MN). I also play for weddings once or twice a year.
Something I don’t get to do as often these days, but am still passionate about, is composing instrumental music and music for media (film, video games, etc.). Though, I have discovered a unique avenue recently for composing art music: novels. I’ve composed and recorded the main themes for three book trailers in the last few years. It’s something I never expected to stumble upon, but it’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing and hope I get to work with more authors in the future!
What inspires you?
Music, for me, has always been about expression. It has the incredible ability to draw out specific emotions, and I have used it as a tool in my own life to help me through experiences like my parents’ divorce, heartbreak, broken friendships, and the grief of loss. I have also found that music has the power to bring people together; if I write something that someone else can relate to, then I have established a connection with that person, and maybe they have also found a connection with someone else experiencing the same thing. To me, that’s what music is all about, and it’s why I do what I do.
How do you want to make a difference?
Since releasing my album, my sons frequently request popping it into the CD player. My oldest likes to play the title track, “Change with the Seasons,” on repeat and knows every word. I cannot describe the feelings that accompany listening to the little human life I created singing along to music I wrote and telling me it’s his “favorite song.” Sharing music with my children and instilling in them a deep love of its beauty and craft has been, and continues to be, one of the most humbling, rewarding experiences of my life. I always used to think that my goals needed to be big in order for me to be successful: go to grad school, get an internship, get a job composing music full-time at a theater, become a well-known name in the film industry, etc., etc., etc. If I settled for less, or if I didn’t end up doing all these grand things, then I was letting those down who expected more of me. But “success” is all in the eye of the beholder. Accomplishments are great, for sure. But so are small moments; so is a simple life. There is nothing wrong with choosing a family over a career. It’s okay to follow your passions in smaller, slower ways instead of trying to turn every hobby into some kind of hustle. Doing something simply because you love it, even if you know that no one else is ever going to see or hear it, is still a success. My goal is to cherish the life I have been given and to share my God-given gifts with those around me. Anything else is extra.
What is your advice for current Bethany students?
Don’t feel like you have to know what you’re doing after graduation. Most people don’t actually end up getting jobs in what they went to school for anyway (at least at first), and that’s OKAY. Let go of the pressure of expectations and just let yourself enjoy the college experience, because no other part of your life will be quite like college as a student. God is holding you. Trust that He knows where your path leads, and that He will guide you wherever you need to go.