 While in high school, she took philosophy courses at NYU and would often see independent films at the IFC Center and the Angelika Film Center.After graduating, she attended the University of Pittsburgh Honors College on a full scholarship where she studied film, writing, and psychology while composing music.At 19, she released an indie music album "Something About Violins" through Western Vinyl that gained acclaim from "Pitchfork", "Wire", and the "Washington Post".