Give my regards to Broadway

When I was 5, my father took me to New York for Christmas through New Years. The ONLY thing I wanted to do was see CATS (It was 1987 and I was five, what do you want from me?), but not because there were kitties, because I had a tape of the highlights from the cast album, and I wanted to see Grisabella sing Memory. I studied Broadway and musicals from then until I was about 25 (though I still keep current), even earning my undergraduate degree in Theater. So in terms of musical influences, you could say Broadway was my first love.

I thought all Sopranos were dramatic!

Harr harr harr. If you truly think you’ve got a Soprano joke I haven’t heard, use the contact form, but know if it’s one I’ve heard a bunch, you’ll get an email back from me just to mock you.

Anyway… When I hit puberty, my voice deepened, mellowed, and filled out, and the voice teacher I had been working with told my father that I needed to be Classically trained. And so, at 15 I started working with Patrick Goeser, professor of voice at UCI. Over the course of the next ten years, I studied under Juliana Gondek, Gary Busby, John Hall, Dr. William Hall, Samuel Krachmalnick, and Gloria Lane.

Let’s Folkin’ Go!

When I was 22, I joined a smallish local band that played at the nearby Renaissance Faire. The official members were all women who sang in three and four part harmony, and they were beginning to write their own music.

20 years, 2 singles, 7 (nearly 8) studio albums, hundreds of shows, and thousands of fans later, the Merry Wives of Windsor have become one of the most popular Renaissance Faire comedy bands in the United States. I have hung up my chevrons for now, but I’ll always come back to the Tavern eventually.

Science Fiction… Double Feature

As is probably suggested by the heading, I watched both Space Odyssey and The Rocky Horror Picture Show entirely too young. I grew up cutting my teeth on Stars both War and Trek, Jules Verne, and Frank Herbert. There’s an (extremely not-flushed out) example of my science fiction writing HERE.

Have I mentioned I like Magic?

The Fantasy/Horror and Urban fantasy genre has fascinated me since I was quite young. One of the biggest times I got in trouble as a young teen was when I snuck into Interview With the Vampire at 12 and I still have no regrets. I’ve since sunk my teeth into anything with Wizards, Vampires, Witches, Werewolves, Elves, and Ghosts. Check out one of my favorite creations, a song about a doomed ship, HERE.

I’m a warrior, and my pen is my sword.

I have always had a strong sense of justice and a need to fix misconceptions and bring light to aspects of a situation some people just aren’t seeing. And the way I do that is through writing, sometimes humorous, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes stirring, but always from the perspective of wanting to help.

I am a comedian.

There’s a saying that’s emerged in the last few years that trauma makes you funny. I’m not saying they’re right, but someone mixed a little bit of OOPS! All Trauma into the cereal bowl that is my life, and well… check out the results here.

I am a mom.

I have one kid that grew in my body and two that grew in my heart. But even before I began raising the kind of kids you can’t give back, I’ve always been a Mom friend. It’s why my tarot card is The Empress (check out the quilt my mom made below, and check out more of her awesome art HERE).

I nurture, I teach, and most importantly, to me, anyway, I love.