Sincere and snappy; sweet and resonant folk pop

13 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk Pop, FOLK: Folk Blues



Details:
I was born in Nome, Alaska and lived there years, then we moved to Juneau, Alaska. I thrived in the creative environment of Juneau with support from teachers who valued the arts and my Mother's encouragement. I began writing with love in high-school. I wrote poetry for the joy of life and love and sadness too. Dreams were especially important in my writing.

I played guitar for the first time in Bellingham, Washington spring of 1995 when I was taught two chords at a party. The next night I dreamt about learning more. I thought, "I need a guitar." When I went home for spring break I got it out of our basement. It had been sitting around for 30 years and had subsequently had a crack in it's neck from the pull of the strings. I learned on it for the next year and then bought a Gospel Gibson. It surprised me to recognized the sweet tone of this guitar.

My love of singing began before guitar came into my life. Summer if 1993 I worked in Denali National Park. I sang where ever I walked because the park officials warned residents and visitors to be loud so bears had fair warning. When I wasn't working as a house keeper in the Denali Village Hotel I was exploring the park. I sang things I knew at first, like my ABCs and favorite songs, but then I began to make things up. Most of the time the songs had no real words. It felt like the sounds and melodies came out of the ground that I walked, like a conversation. I felt very connected to nature and God.

Recording has been an interesting journey. I started in Bellingham with "Something More Than Beautiful," at Soundings of the Planet. They tell me it was the shortest recorded album in the history of their Studio. In a total of about 2.5 hours I recorded 13 songs. "Breaking Strings," my second recording was done Juneau at Skatebottom Sound. This was a longer process. I took more like 8 months and included other musicians. This brings us to "All I Can See," my most recent recording with which I was in the studio phase for 18 or so months. I included many wonderful musicians from this
rich community and was co-produced Ron Veliz and Pat Fitzgerald.

Right now I live in Fairbanks, Alaska. I play my original music along with a few fun songs by other artist in pubs, at festivals, in coffeshops, on boats traveling up rivers, in church, and where ever a good cause calls me. I also work with 3-6 year old children at Fairbanks Montessori. I am a class room assistant. I compose songs for the kids and get them to dance. I also tie shoes and zip coats. It's a sweet exhistance.

Music came to me like a late birthday gift. It was already a celebration and when I thought things were said and done there was one more gift to open. Music is the gift that keeps on giving, not only to me as I learn from an internal source given by God, but to other people. To me this is even more a blessing. Round and round it goes!