By the age of sixteen, I had already written my first original song. In my youth and early adulthood, I traveled extensively across the United States and Europe as a singer-songwriter. I performed in public spaces, theaters, nightclubs in Paris and Amsterdam, and even for stranded sailors in Alaska and Oregon. I also had the chance to appear in early off-off-Broadway musicals such as Nightclub Cantata and New York Street Show. During my college years, I toured with the experimental Via Theatre company and co-created an original performance piece titled “Tower of Babel: First Story” alongside Anne Bogart, David Schechter, and Ossian Cameron.While pursuing graduate studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, I created experimental site-specific works like Call of the Mall and Garage Symphony, which were featured in the prestigious New Music America festival. These pieces explored themes of ritual, place, and audience participation — ideas that still influence my work today.