Teaching Artist
Artist Statement
I am the eleventh child born to two visual artists who met at the Albright Art School in Buffalo, New York. At the age of four, my family immigrated to a large farm in central Ontario, Canada. The woods, fields, rivers and creeks were my playground and my love of the earth and nature became central to my being. I loved to listen to all of the sounds of nature; like the rustling of poplar leaves in the wind, the babbling creeks, the many melodic songs of native birds, the howling of wolves, the grunts of moose and bear and the severe silence of a crisp winter night. All of these beautiful and familiar sounds were my favorite kind of music.
Inside the home, I was exposed to many genres of music. The operatic sounds of Victoria Diangeles and classical music that my parents loved would wake us up in the morning. The folky rock artists beloved by my ten elder siblings like Buffy Ste Marie, Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bruce Cockburn, Leonard Cohen and Neil Young were heard for the remainder of the day. My family and I loved to listen to and create songs together as music was the central and unifying force of our family. Whether we were inside or outside of our home and whether we had instruments or just our voices, songs were sung and played everyday.
It was when I studied music in college that I fell in love with Jazz. Betty Carter, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan opened my mind to a new and exciting sound that fed my soul in a way I’d never been nourished before. I felt instantly at home! With their influence, I found a new way to express myself and evolved into an artist who uses the practice of composing, performing and recording jazz music as a conduit to reach into the very essence of my being to voice my truth. This process creates an opportunity for me to set this soul of mine free, unencumbered by the distractions and minutia of daily life.
It is my desire and intention to create music from a place of truth and vulnerability. As a performer, I am happy to share my original compositions and traditional jazz songs. I have released two original albums and performed and produced a third album of jazz standards.
My first, album, “4Some” is a collection of Jazz Standards and one original piece. I was honored to have jazz greats Daniel Jackson, Marshall Hawkins and Chuck McPherson as my band on that recording. With their mastery and support, I was able to give a unique interpretation of timeless jazz standards.
“Here I Am”, my second album as a solo artist, presented a funky and new fresh sound. My band laid down a deep and solid groove upon which my innovative voice was supported and I freely expressed myself. All songs on Here I Am are original “S” (as my friends call me). I write straight from my heart with the intention of giving the listener an intimate view into my innermost truth. With courage, I held nothing back and presented the listener with the beauty of a divinely channeled love experience.
“Into Light”, my third album, shows a maturation in my song writing. After the deaths of close friend and colleague, drummer Nicki Carano, and of my mentor, saxophonist Daniel Jackson, I was inspired to write songs to honor their lives and work. I employ jazz great Christian McBride on bass and funk drummer John Staten along with other fabulous musicians from Rock, Gospel, Classical and Jazz traditions. The fusion of these players creates a unique sound that is beyond category. Like the many voices in nature, the variety of perspectives that the musicians bring all blend and fuse together to make a unique sound and my evolution as a musician is evident.
I believe that my background in Anthropology/Native American Studies, Music/Voice Concentration and my daily yoga practice shines through my work and the constant theme of is love is evident. Human love, a love for equity and a love of nature and the earth. I have always been a “helper” my mother reminds me. I am an artist who is empathic, compassionate and willing to take chances when creating revelatory music. I am inspired to write meaningful music to help create a better and more loving world for all species.
Currently, I am composing songs for my fourth album entitled “Earth”. My love of nature is strong and protecting it’s balance and existence is a high priority for me. I have learned through my experiences in creating the last three albums not to rush things; that art comes in ‘Art’s’ time, therefore, I will not put a deadline on this project. I feel that the evolution of its’ creation is on a timeline all its own, not mine. I have completed three songs and there are more on the way, in their own time.
Nature’s life cycles are a constant flow of birth, living, death and decay, and I strive to acknowledge these cycles in my own process of writing, recording, performing and teaching. The more I grow in my own creativity, the more I have to share with listeners and students alike. Just as I use nature’s rhythms and melodies in my own songs, I love to encourage my students to listen to all of the sounds around them. I ask them to find and explore the rhythm of a passing car or truck, to listen closely for the songs of birds, the humming of bees, the rhythm of the ocean waves. I ask them to tell me about how they make music by using the language of nature. With music as my vehicle, I am able to find my place in nature, express my soul’s purpose and live my best life.