About

I was raised in a musical family that sang together often and began taking piano lessons at age six. I loved learning about music. In elementary school, I started playing the clarinet and continued until about eighth grade. By then, I had sung in a couple of children’s choirs and joined choir in both middle and high school.

Eighth grade was also when I discovered the guitar—an instrument I could sing along with while playing, and I loved it. I played guitar in my high school jazz band, but mostly so I could accompany myself while singing. I also introduced the church I was attending to songs accompanied by guitar.

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I attended Chapman University, where I studied music theory and voice and sang in the award-winning Chapman Choir. Later, I graduated with a degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Social Ecology is about creating a healthy environment for people, and I try to bring that focus to everything I do. Throughout college, I continued playing guitar, especially with friends, and loved adding harmony to the songs we sang together.

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For about 25 years, I served as music director for the band at First Christian Church in Eugene, where I played guitar, keyboard, and occasionally mandolin—once again bringing guitar-accompanied music to the church.

I also sang with the Eugene Concert Choir and was a member of All For a Lark, a musical group that performed at the Shrewsbury Renaissance Faire each fall. During the holidays, we dressed as Dickensian carolers and performed at the Electric Station and many other venues around Eugene.

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One of the things I most enjoy is teaching people how to play guitar, especially how to accompany themselves and others. Music can be relaxing, energizing, and spiritually uplifting—whether as a solitary activity or part of a community. It is the universal language, and I love sharing what I have learned.