Music runs in my blood on both sides of the family. My father is an accomplished guitarist, and my maternal grandmother brought piano into my life. Her father was an accomplished pianist in a traveling band, and she played all of her life. She began to teach me simple songs like “Chopsticks” when I was very young, and then I began formal lessons when I was six years old. I played in the jazz and pep bands in high school and won a scholarship for lessons out of 600 people. I started writing my own music in 3rd grade and continue to to this day. My favorites are classical (especially Beethoven or Mozart), Tori Amos, and turning pop music into ballads.