Music became “soul food” for me when I was barely seven years old.

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My family suffered a huge loss: their son passed at 15 ½ years old, from complications of Down Syndrome and seizure disorder. It was the worst experience and the best for me. I was 6 ½ years old and lost a brother who taught me everything I needed to know about love. It was the impetus I needed to brighten an otherwise dark house and substitute a different kind of love.

 

And so began my journey into the world of music. I played the piano for my family, and of course for myself. It was fascinating and heart opening: as if a world of possibility just cracked open as the proverbial “egg”.

 

My sister and I lived the adage to a “t”: namely, the first six years of one’s life sets the stage for the rest. My sister chose nursing, and I chose teaching, composing, and performing music. Those choices were opportunities for sharing love and helping those in need.

 

And now that I’ve retired from teaching, and have isolated more than the norm for me, the show, and the book are being written. It’s not a circumstance I would ever choose, but as my mother would say: they give you lemons, you make lemonade. It’s not that simple: but it is an opportunity I was given. And so I am working on my music and writing more than I ever have, at a level that is deeper and more prolific.

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I still dabble with teaching and channeling for those who ask. I don’t think I’d ever stop being a teacher. Now’s the time to “get real”, and let the world know who I am and let the music find its audience. Is it you?