I was asked today to provide a bio for an upcoming choir program. I'd never done a bio before. Not for myself. So, I tried to come up with something.
Everytime I read the bio of a peer, it usually starts with their name, followed by "received her Bachelor of Music Education degree in piano from Southeastern University" or something akin to that. But mine doesn't read that way. Mine is simply, "Church Pianist for 20 years". So, I sat down and thought about my bio today. So far, it goes a little something like this.
I grew up in Denham Springs, beginning my piano lessons at the young age of six and continuing until I graduated from Denham Springs High in 1985. I had several teachers in the Denham/Walker area who provided my piano instruction. There was ONE teacher I really wanted to take lessons from but I'd heard that she only accepted students through audition. It wasn't until I was grown, and way past auditioning age, that I learned she wasn't really auditioning the student, she was "auditioning" the parents to see how committed they were to getting their child to lessons!
I had a musical mother and musical neighbors on three sides of my childhood home. The fourth side had livestock. At night, I could hear the neighbor on the left as he played country music with his band. The sounds would float across the pasture to my bedroom window, inspiring me to one day become a famous country singer. (Yeah, you see THAT happened!) On other days, the neighbor on the right would play a mean piano in the stylings of Floyd Kramer and I dreamt of being able to play like that someday. (I CAN!) The neighbor across the street was an aspiring opera singer.
My mother was also classically trained in voice and from time to time would need someone to play for her when she sang at local senior luncheons. She told me once that the real reason she pushed for my piano lessons was so she would always have an accompanist at her beck and call.
I graduated high school, got married six months later, and didn't touch a keyboard for 5-7 years. Then someone gave me a piano. I got it tuned and proceeded to entertain myself in my living room. Not long after that, I got divorced.
A few years later, in 1997, I remarried. That same year, I'd heard that my childhood church home needed a pianist as they were beginning a new 2nd service on Sunday mornings. I called the music director to ask about the position and was told to be at choir practice the following Wednesday night. I showed up and 20 years later, I'm still there as church pianist and choir accompanist. During that 20 years, I have also accompanied Doyle and Walker High School Choirs, under the direction of Sherri Shelton and Margaret Pfeil, and Denham Springs Jr. High, under the direction of Karen McGibboney, for their District Festival performances as well as Christmas and End of Year concerts. I have also played at weddings and funerals.
I really just wanted to be a veterinarian and an Indian Princess when I grew up.
