| Follow: |
 |
Singer, Songwriter, Educator |
 My first memory of connecting with the voice was in my father’s arms with my ear to his chest as he sang songs like: Jamaica Farewell, Sloop John B, a lot of WWII Army and Navy songs along with Irish pub tunes. Coming from a large family we had endless reasons to plan marathon gatherings, celebrate and sing.
My first paid gig was when I played guitar and sang The Green Beret at a senior luncheon for five dollars at my Aunt Fran’s church in Metuchen, NJ. Throughout middle school and high school I sang in The New Jersey State and Northeast Regional, played guitar in folk mass, and with Girl Scout Troop 8 anywhere we went. In college I got to tour with a singing group to Romania and Bulgaria under the direction of Ray Fowler. It was an eye-opening experience as a twenty year-old to visit communist block countries whose audiences were still into The Beatles and buying blue jeans in the black market. I got to sing one great choral performance at Carnegie Hall with The Rutgers University Choir. Then I played guitar and sang at the Kern Coffee House on campus at Penn State University, and at The Corner Room restaurant on South Street in downtown State College. I also sang as an alto in The Penn State Singers under the direction of Dr. Raymond Brown. We sang Amahl and the Night Visitors at the theater on campus, and sang with The Penn State University Choir at Carnegie Hall, NYC. After college, I worked in the nutrition and food industry for twelve years moonlighting at pubs and restaurants in northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I played cover songs by popular artists such as Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Tom Paxton, The Beatles, Linda Ronstadt, Karla Bonoff, and The Eagles along with the traditional Irish folk songs my father taught me. I began writing songs for children when my son Matthew was five years old. (He attends Ithaca College as a double major in Doctorate of Physical Therapy/B.S. in Spanish.) I have worked as an independent singer-songwriter/recording artist performing at schools, The Public Libraries of Brooklyn, festivals such as The International Child Art Foundation on The Mall in Washington D.C., Greenfest in Boston and Cape Cod, Borders Bookstores, and venues from Maine to Memphis. I teach music part-time at private schools in Northern New Jersey, and offer songwriting workshops, beginner/intermediate guitar and flute lessons. My mission is to continue to write songs and create music from the perspective young artists, ultimately inspiring them to compose and confidently express themselves in their formative years. Discography: Memberships:
Awards:
|