A West Coast girl through and through, I was born in North Vancouver and still live there. It’s amazing how many people I still run into that I went to school with and who have also remained in North Van. I guess you can’t really beat it for beauty, access to outdoor activities and a “small town next to a big city” feel!
I studied music at UBC, entering as a concert piano major and switching to voice in my second year. At that time UBC was strictly classical - any other kind of music was considered “illegitimate”! During that time my two sisters and I were involved in a BCTV national series called “Banjo Parlour”. We had won a talent contest at the Centennial Theatre in North Van, the grand prize of which was a guest spot on the show, and after our guest performance, we were invited to be a weekly fixture as “The Bye Sisters”. It was an awfully fun introduction to show biz!!
During second year at UBC, I was asked to join a funk band called “New Breed”, which I did. I thought I might at some point return to academia, but so far that hasn’t happened. I suppose it’s never too late! That training however, as well as my twelve years of Royal Conservatory piano, have stood me in good stead.
As well as working with quite a number of bands over the years (New Breed, Streetplayer, Foxfire, Mojo, Night Train Revue, R&B Allstars, The Euphorics, Big City Soul, Ladies Sing the Blues and The Porter/Bye Project), I’ve spent hundreds of hours in the studio, doing commercial jingles, backgrounds on other people’s albums and several albums of my own. I can be heard on “Livin’ On A Prayer” and “Lay Your Hands On Me” by Bon Jovi, Cher’s “Love Hurts” album and “Elegantly Wasted” by INXS. I also sang on a Bowie track that, ridiculously, I can’t remember the name of!!
I’ve found over 5 decades of working as a full-time musician that it’s necessary to be flexible, able to adapt, and willing to learn if you want to continue making a living doing what you love! I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to do just that – adapt and shift and learn and keep working and loving my work!
In 2016 I took a course to become certified as a “SongShine” instructor. SongShine is a vocal empowerment course designed originally for people with Parkinsons and since expanded to reach people recovering from stroke or other neurological conditions, brain injury or even just dealing with aging voice. It’s a wonderful course incorporating breath work, relaxation techniques, vocal exercises, poetry, humour, and of course, music. I’ve been teaching now since the fall of 2016, and currently teach for the UBC Brain Wellness Program, the Parkinson’s Society of BC, and my own small group, all on Zoom. What wonderful communities each of those classes have become!
My most recent project is something brand new for me – leading a choir! My sister Jan has been a choir director since I can remember, and our mother was before her, but it’s something I had never done until the fall of 2024, when Colin Weinmaster (band leader and trombonist for the R&B Allstars and owner of Wave Productions for many years – gave me my start in jingle work!!) convinced me that it would be a great idea. I had my doubts, mainly about my own abilities in that direction! However, we put the feelers out to a bunch of our musician friends, and the response was immediate and inspiring. Earth, Wind and Choir has become an important part of all of our lives, for the music and for the community. So soul-filling and joyful!!
I’m still working with bands, either fronting or singing backgrounds, teaching SongShine, writing arrangements for Earth, Wind and Choir, doing session work, and even doing Descriptive Video narrations, another recent addition to the resume and fun work as well!!
When not working on something, I’m generally working out, doing yoga, hiking, biking or playing tennis. Life is good. Please check out my calendar for live performance updates, choir concerts, and SongShine course schedules. And feel free to drop me a line in the “Contact Me” form. And take care of yourself!