I joined Local 802 when I started playing on Broadway and got TV gigs. My musical goal in NYC is to be involved in all the music making that NYC has to offer. I studied classical music but it’s also great to be involved with jazz ensembles, play with pop stars and work with contemporary composers. There are so many avenues of music that NYC has to offer and that is what makes it so great. I can be involved in a lot of different professionally enhancing and rewarding experiences with great artists. My most favorite recent gig was playing a few shows with the legendary Stevie Wonder at Madison Square Garden and other places. Playing with such an iconic and legendary musical talent was truly an honor and incredibly inspiring. My parents got to come see me play one of the shows and sat front row! I’ll never forget the moment I saw my mom waving at me, I nearly started crying out of gratitude and excitement. To be able to share the experience with my parents whom I owe everything to, was amazing. Stevie is so gracious, kind, generous, and amazing to watch. I stared at him in awe the entire time. It felt surreal. Definitely a highlight of my life and career as a cellist. Last spring, I had the opportunity to perform Off Broadway at the Signature Theatre as a part of their Signature Plays production. I was cast as an actor playing a cellist. I remember being really nervous at first because I thought to myself, How am I going to act, be in character and also remember this really obscure cello part? In the end, it really wasn’t very different or more difficult than other performances I’ve done as a cellist. The cello part really grew on me. I loved it and I loved that it challenged me to do more as a performer. It was really rewarding to feel that I had taken on a whole other avenue of being an artist.