When I was in eighth grade, I had the great fortune of taking piano lessons from Mr. Paul Wheeler, the organist at the United Methodist church in Linesville, Pennsylvania. One week, he asked me if I would be interested in taking organ lessons. The 1906 Hillgreen, Lane, and Company tracker instrument intrigued me, and I immediately said yes! While Paul was not wealthy– his “day job” was working in a lumberyard (a risky job for organist!), and he had four children of his own — he provided the organ lessons and at no extra charge and later loaned a practice instrument for me to use at home. I am forever indebted to Paul for his generosity, his encouragement, and his excellent instruction.
For college, I attended the University of Notre Dame and had the great fortune of studying with Dr. Craig Cramer. After my senior year, Craig took the students from his studio on an organ tour in Germany, where we had the opportunity to play many great instruments. Craig always said that his best “teachers” were great instruments, and he wanted to provide us with the opportunity to learn from these wonderful organs as well.
After college, I joined a volunteer teaching program for two years; during this time, I taught in Catholic schools on Chicago’s south and west sides. Since then, I have worked as a middle school teacher, a principal, and now a central office administrator for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Throughout this time, I have remained involved with music by serving as a substitute organist, singing in choirs, teaching, taking lessons, and participating in various workshops and classes. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to serve the Church both as an educator and as a musician; I look forward to living out both vocations for many more years!