I was gifted with a moderately pleasant voice, nothing spectacular, but particularly suited for homey / folksy kinds of songs (lullabies, Christmas carols, singing along with a group). My real moment in the musical spotlight was when I learned to play the violin. A good, solid ensemble player, I was never going to challenge Itzhak Perlman for his place in any orchestra but I loved it more than I could possibly say. It was the single most defining thing in my life. In many ways, my violin was my best friend and we were inseparable. I owed most of my childhood confidence, happiness, and self esteem to my music. I met most of my high school friends through my participation in school and community orchestras. I even received a music scholarship to college as a Music Therapy major.

Unfortunately, I have some severe joint problems in my wrists, which eventually made it impossible to continue playing. I still hope that someday, I will find a treatment that will address my wrist pain and allow me to play an instrument again. I would love to play the violin again if I could regain any of my former ability and I have always wanted to learn to play acoustic guitar but until that day, I express my love of music by singing and by listening to music performed by other, more talented, musicians.

No longer a musician, I still love music and spend as much time as possible listening to and singing along with my favorite songs. My favorite artists are the BareNaked Ladies, Counting Crows, R.E.M., and Alanis Morissette but I can be fairly eclectic at times, tending to judge my music on a song by song basis rather than by genre or artist. I could try and write something that would give you an idea of the kind of thing I like but it just seemed easier to let you listen.