Originally from the San Francisco Bay area, now settled in the gorgeous Endless Mountains of northeastern Pennsylvania, USA, I was raised on a healthy diet of Chicago-style rhythm & blues, classic rock, classical composers, opera, bluegrass, jazz, heavy/thrash metal, world, folk, honky tonk…

My father, a talented percussionist, was my first music teacher. It is from his teachings and example that gave me a solid foundation in rhythm and music composition. Our common love and need for creating music is a special bond that we share.

I’ve always been a singer and I’ve always written my own songs from the melodies swirling around in my head, ever since I was a little girl sitting at a piano plunking out my own melodies have I done this.
My love for string instruments began when I discovered my mother’s zither that she kept in her magic trunk when I was 9 years old. I played that zither for hours amazed by the sounds it produced.
Growing up listening to acoustic music further grabbed my ear and peaked my interest, my mother especially loves the acoustic guitar so I heard much folk and cultural acoustic guitar music, which today inspires my own acoustic compositions.

I’m an artistic person by nature and had at one time primarily focused my artistic ability painting canvases and drawing. Also through dance and photography (I was at one time a wedding photographer).
Throughout this artistic exploration I was performing with choirs and studying voice. I finally heard the call of music and began the journey of creating and concentrating solely on my own music in 2003.

Though music education has been a lifelong study, after I realized what my main craft was I completely immersed myslef into guitar, bass, piano, music theory, songwriting, and hand-drumming (and more recently, the fujara). My excitement in creating music and now having the tools to do that is exhilarating.
In addition, I’ve studied (and continue to study) production and recording, mixing and mastering so that I could have complete autonomy with my music.

I have a never-ending thirst for more inventive & creative ways to express a thought musically and I expermiment all over the map. Writing music is akin to exploring a universe in my mind, I never grow tired of it and I especially enjoy writing with other musicians who think similarly.

I love harmonies and playing instruments off of one another, I think my years of performing in choirs and visiting symphonies has something to do with that.
My muses/inspirations are many and could be anything from a conversation, to a billboard, or even the back of a shampoo bottle (the lyrics to Rose Adonis were inspired by Herbal Essences Shampoo).
I’m also highly influenced by my environment and my own emotions, as I think all musicians are.
The acoustic guitar is central to my compositions, though it isn’t always featured in my music. I write everything on an acoustic first.
World music is particularly influencial, as is rock and blues.

When I’m not writing/recording/performing, I enjoy being outside as much as possible spending time with my best friend, Keith (who is also a musician), and our two amazing children. It is a gift to be able to share music with my children as my parents did and still do with me.

I also love to watch movies, paint large canvases (still), tribal bellydance, photography, stargazing, attending live shows, reading anything and everything, especially nerdy science books on Botany and Chemistry, and works by Stephen King, and E.A. Poe.

My two very most favorite bands are Anthrax and Tool, and I greatly admire amazingly talented female artists such as Joni Mitchell, Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Tori Amos, and my favorite: Linda Ronstadt.
I have been a fan of Linda’s since I was a small child and have sang along with her to her records for as long as I can remember.
It is Linda’s voice that I first remember hearing as a child that sparked that flame that spoke to me saying,
“You are meant to sing!”