Hi! I am 51 years old and studied in Regensburg, Germany when I was in college. That's where I learned fluent German. My studies and my dream were to become an opera singer, so I also studied Italian for a month in Florence, Italy. While in Germany, my career path took a slight turn and I ended up enrolling in the MFA program for Theatre Voice Coaches at the National Theater Conservatory in Denver, Colorado. It was one of the best decisions I ever made and I didn't look back! I am now a practicing Voice, Speech, Dialects and Singing Coach in the Denver area and work with actors, singers, business professionals and people from all walks of life, helping them to improve their voice and hone their presentation and stage skills. I adore language and speech and love learning about other people's cultures and customs. I am married to Jamie--14 years---and we have a little Border Terrier dog, named Bodie. I grew up in Boulder, Colorado and am the luckiest person to have lived there. It is a beautiful community with the mountains in our backyard, amazing people and I got the best education.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

I am self-employed and find that it is sometimes essential for me to reduce my costs when traveling. I am attending the funeral of a dear friend and needed to go last minute, so I thought this might be a viable option. I had a recommendation from a friend that said it was a great service.

Interests

• dogs
• culture
• cooking
• music
• travel
• voice
• language

Music, Movies, and Books

I love all kinds of music---I'm partial to musical theater and funk and soul. But I have favorites in all genres, from classical to hip hop! I'm a huge fan of Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga! But I also love Justin Timberlake, Josh Groban and Earth Wind and Fire.

As far as movies, I love smart, sassy comedies like "Bridesmaids" and Superhero movies are awesome if there isn't too much violence. I'm kind of more and more turned off to violent movies..I love amazing documentaries and independent films that are well done.

I just finished "The Book Thief", and "The Worst Hard Time". Both moving and emotional. I'm currently reading "Albion's Seed" about the emigrants of England in the 17th century and how they shaped America.

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

My husband and I went to India in December of 2016. We stayed with our dear friends' mother and family in Bangalore. We got to teach in the neighboring family-run schools---the private one and the village schools, and we got to attend and even participate in my friend's sister's wedding. A grand Indian wedding---my first! It was fabulous and beautiful. The trip of a lifetime.

Teach, Learn, Share

I am always into talking about culture and language! I am on the faculty of the Denver Center for the Performing Arts in Denver, and I teach Dialects and Accents there to actors. If you ever have any questions about how that works, feel free to ask!! It's a fascinating process. I also work with people who want to reduce their accent, and so we talk about their language and even culture, to begin to understand how they can soften their native language sounds and improve their American English sounds.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I would love to give you some tips on how to speak better, how to deal with stage fright, and also you might be interested in learning about how your voice works---whether you speak my language or another language, it's usually information that isn't obvious if you were to look it up online or talk to the average person. I am a wealth of "hidden" knowledge about the voice, and I would love to share it with you.

Countries I’ve Visited

England, France, Germany, India, Norway, Spain, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey

Countries I’ve Lived In

France, Germany