"I always loved to sing, and used to do it informally, and joined a choir, the Oakland Youth Chorus when I was fourteen, and started training with them. I would sing accappela songs at rallies, or women's events, or different community gatherings. Then, after high school I applied to Berkeley College of Music, where I was able to get musical theory background, and ensemble classes, and get used to performing, and started writing my own music, and started recording, and since then have been recording with musicians and producers from the Bay Area and the East Coast. I just put out an album on my own label, so that feels good."

"I think for me visual and performing arts are so helpful in my life, my parents were supportive in getting me involved in whatever after-school programs, or going out of their way to help me go to performing and visual arts schools and, it's important to be able to put our energy towards something that makes us feel good, something that we're good at, something that we can get a good reaction from other people too, so I'm all for other young folks doing performing arts, and visual arts, and it's good when the programs aren't cut, because sometimes those are the first programs to be cut. So I know La Peña is one of those spots that is supportive of people coming in and mentoring."

"La Peña has been here since I was a kid. Now I'm 25, and it's still here. I think La Peña really adds to the Bay Area, and it's an all ages place where people can come and hear live music, different kinds of music, you know, hip-hop, to world music, soul, and everything. So, you know, it's fresh to be able to come back here and perform. It's always a pleasure to come because I feel the crowd, and the crowd always gives me a good feeling, it's a place that I used to come to as a kid, and so it's nice to be able to come here now that I'm of age and I can perform for other young folks"