Projects

On August 14th, 2026, I played my first show as the ~headliner/bandleader/artistic director~  if you will.

Now don’t get me wrong- I’ve played plenty of gigs and shows in my time. But there’s a difference between playing from the safety of a trumpet section and standing front-and-center as a vocalist. There’s a difference between being a member of the band and being the bandleader, between getting hired to play an event and going out and booking my own show, hiring my own band, and personally inviting forty-six of my closest friends/family/fans to fill the room. 

Yes, this show was very different from anything I had done before.

This was the first time I got to make a show exactly what I wanted it to be… to shape it around my own artistic vision and bring it to life with all of the skills I’ve spent so much time acquiring and honing.

This show was my ode to my mom, who passed away from cancer in 2024.

I had dreamed about this show long before I ever set it into motion. I spent a long time honing my craft leading up to this show, but honestly, becoming a “jazz vocalist” was never my intention when I set out on this journey. I just love singing. And I had a lot of bottled-up feelings that I needed an outlet for, and I needed to do something to honor my mom.

For a while, I thought that once this night was over and I had honored my mom in this way, I might be done with this vocalist business. Just one night would be enough to say everything I needed to say. But in preparing for this show, I found so much more than I ever expected to find.

In the Seattle music scene, I found friends and mentors. I found people who now feel like my funny little jazz family. I found the camaraderie, support, love, and acceptance that I had been missing for a long time.

I found new meaning and beauty in these songs through the work of truly getting to understand them. These songs that we call “standards,” written so long ago, hold so much wisdom. To get to learn from them and participate in this tradition is, in itself, an honor. 

I found that I have good instincts, and that I can trust myself.

I found that I can really do this.

And I found that I have so much more to say.

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