Hometown: Oakland Gardens, NY
Anticipated Majors: Music, Psychology
As a classically-trained pianist-composer with a longstanding record of community service, I’ve seen firsthand the power of music as a universal language—however cliché that may be. Performing regularly for seniors in community centers throughout high school solidified to me how music can revive lost memories and spark brief but meaningful moments of joy. My love for playing, listening to, and creating music is deeply intertwined with my academic interest in psychology and other social sciences. I’m particularly interested in how music technology can support mental health, particularly among young people.
In the Milstein Program, I want to explore how emerging technologies can make music-making more accessible and therapeutic. I've seen how the design of creative tools, specifically music notation software, can either empower or exclude. When Finale was discontinued, composers I knew lost decades of work—an abrupt reminder of how vulnerable artists can be to tech. In contrasts, tools like MIDI have reshaped how we compose, making experimentation and revision part of the creative process—unlike traditional composition, which often relied on handwriting entire orchestral scores in one sitting. These shifts don't just influence the music—it reshapes how we think about composing itself. As technology continues to reshape the arts—sometimes in ways that can feel extractive or impersonal—I’m excited to work on building tools that actually serve artists and strengthen, rather than replace, the creative process.
Outside of music, I love graphic designing for publications and writing/reading critical essays. In my free time, I find joy in rollerblading, binge-watching Netflix, playing tennis, or thrifting a new skirt!
