DM began private piano lessons at the tender age of 6 and continued studies for 7 years.  She used her piano training as she transitioned into competitive choral singing in middle school. Her theory and sight reading were particularly helpful as she participated in competitive acapella Jazz and Chamber ensemble singing in high school before going on to study Theater in college at UC Santa Cruz. While completing her degree, DM performed in Musical Theater productions throughout the Bay Area (Shakespeare Santa Cruz, Cabrillo Stage, San Jose Children’s Musical Theater). 

After graduating and moving to NYC, DM found the Roy Hart Voice Technique as taught to her by Richard Armstrong (NYU Experimental Theater Wing). Richard encouraged her to begin writing her own songs. DM was then cast in an original play that premiered at the first Fringe Festival in New Orleans (Simple, 2008). She was also to provide the live music score and quickly accelerated her casual guitar playing to full on soundscape scoring. She has gone on to provide scoring and musical accompaniment to other independent theater productions (The Mask of Medusa, hOMAge, Me and Mr. Jones). Lately, DM is a singer-songwriter with her own band, DM and the Expats, and plays often at NYC venues like Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, and Pete’s Candy Store.

As a voice teacher, through lyric analysis, physical, visual and breathing exercises, DM won't tell students how to use their voices, she will help them feel free to explore their full capacity and find assurance to express their chosen material in their own, unique way.  

As a beginning and intermediate piano teacher, DM likes to instill a strong sense of technique that allows her students to then feel free to express themselves through playing. Building on the classic style she was taught, she emphasizes theory and musicianship skills to enable her students to develop confidence as musicians in any capacity and styles they choose.

As a beginning guitar teacher, DM focuses on the instrument as a songwriting tool with learning basic chord structures and strumming patterns to explore the fundamental elements of a song.