A solid understanding of physical acoustics governs her harmonic structure and orchestration, and enables her to exploit the resources of the individual instruments. Childhood summers spent in the wilderness of the Adirondack Mountains are reflected in frequent musical references to the outdoors. A love of poetry and a fascination with the relationship between words and music has led to the creation of may works for voice, including songs, vocal chamber works, choral pieces, and a musical about America's First Ladies, Ladies First: Songs, Rhymes and Times of the President's Wives.