A BRIEF BIO

     I have been a piano teacher since the age of 15, quite some time ago, and I earned a B. A. in Music from Illinois Wesleyan University in 1988.

     I have accompanied choirs, soloists, and church services and have entertained at country clubs and private parties.   In Baraboo, I performed at the Village Booksmith and at St. Clare Meadows on several occasions.

     On Sunday, October 20, I will be playing a recital “Among Friends” at the First United Methodist Church in Baraboo.  In addition to solo piano works, this concert will include piano ensembles and accompaniment of singers and an oboeist.

PIANO PLAYER

     I’ve been PLAYING the piano since I was four, when my big brother decided it was time.  He hit me when I made a mistake, so I learned really fast.  After awhile my mother took over my instruction, and I learned enough to substitute for the church pianist by the time I was in fourth grade.

     I studied for several years with a wonderful teacher in the next town, but my strongest memory was the night we ran out of gas on the way home.  Apparently her teaching was painless.  I do remember being told every year that I wasn’t ready to earn a 1^st prize at contest and coming home with one anyway.  I dropped out of lessons in time to avoid auditioning in the top category though; that looked like it would require work, and I would rather PLAY.

     In my middle 30’s, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music, and I got to sing in great choirs and accompany faculty ensembles and freshmen auditions.   I now teach students from age 8 to 88; about a third of my students are adults.

     I still love to PLAY piano, and that’s what we do in my studio.  PLAY.

     We PLAY games to learn musical skills; we PLAY duets and even quintets; we PLAY ragtime and boogie and cool jazz; and we PLAY a lot of classical music because the kids love Beethoven and Bach, composers who knew what they were doing when they wrote such great music—for us to PLAY!

Come and PLAY with me!