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Papa sang bass, momma sang tenor… well, not quite. First musical influences came from church and theater where my mom sang soprano. The church choir perched high in the cathedral loft performed ethereal, mysterious music in languages I didn’t know. While they sang, I inquisitively gazed over the railings or walked among “the giant pipes” of the organ. All the while, my ears grew accustomed to polyphonic sounds, unusual languages and beginning ideas of music were formed.

Music spoke directly to something deep inside me even though I didn’t always understand it. Music’s language was of the heart… an expression of self and something beyond self. It captivated me!

Theater created other images of exciting colors and dances, pit orchestras and voices… enough to make a child smile. From the stage, the thousand seat auditorium with cushioned, red velvet seats rising high into the second mezzanine was thrilling. The resounding of instruments and voices, tapping feet and clapping hands made the gold leaf seem trivial. Music captivated me!

Piano was the instrument my family owned, piano was the instrument we learned to play, but I had heard the strings of Segovia and the strums of Joan Baez and longed to wrap myself around a guitar. In 1969 my first guitar, a Stella Harmony, was purchased. Now I could play and sing the war protest songs, the love songs… whatever… I was on my way to becoming a troubadour… of sorts.

Songwriting became a way of processing ideas and sharing them with other people. It was a way to pour myself out. Inspirations for songs come from the magnificence of nature – particularly sea and sky, real life encounters – including heartaches and joys, travel - imagined or real, and, of course, the ultimate topic – LOVE!!!