HELLO
I am a dreamer, romantic, old soul and goofball. At times it feels I was born in the wrong era, and others, I still feel like a gangly teenager. Music has always been a prominent thread through my upbringing and found me singing on a stage for the first time at the young age of 4. I took my turn on an outdoor stage in Hilton Head by open invitation from the band, and “You are My Sunshine” was my debut performance. As the musicians began to accompany me and throw in their harmonies, the dream to become a singer was birthed.
As I grew older, I connected deeply to the storytelling I found in music for things that were difficult to express with mere words. I’ve always been someone who feels and thinks deeply but hesitates to share it with other people. At 14, I wrote my first song on the piano, though I’d spilled many thoughts and emotions on paper in poetry before then. The ink on the pages of my journal was just for me, but I found that my song was intended to be released. By weaving my dramatic introspection into melody, I discovered a new language I could use to convey my inner dialogue.
A darker strand that marked my years was a need to be noticed, and I experienced a lot of heartbreak as I poured myself out to people who didn’t truly value me. In the midst of the struggle, the fascinating sound of jazz came into my life with Billie Holiday’s “God Bless the Child.” It drew me in immediately and enraptured me like no other music had, and I soon found others – Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, etc. The pieces fell together, and I got into piano lessons with a good friend and brilliant pianist, Dorian Wallace, asking him to teach me what I needed to know to write and play jazz.
Due to my own heartaches and persistent battle with self-worth, I began to desire an opportunity to bring hope to a world overrun with darkness. Often kicking and screaming in protest through my own healing process, I’ve stumbled forward learning to expel my pain in the only way one truly can – to feel it. The inexplicable love and gentle guidance of Jesus has sustained me through every moment of it. All this has culminated in the style I call…
Soul Jazz · A timeless sound with a voice of hope
I’ve now had the opportunity to share my heart this way for several years, performing at any place where the doors are opened to me. It’s been a thrilling adventure, fueled largely by the enduring support and encouragement from my incredible husband, Thomas, and of course, the one who’s “always seen who I could be…” - Mommy. I’m honored to fulfill every opportunity laid before me by God’s faithful leading, and my desire as an artist is…
to RELEASE the truest expression of my artistry, and through it,
CONNECT with people everywhere, AWAKEN dreamers and
INSPIRE hope in every heart.
