I’ve been playing various instruments off and on since I was 16 (started with an electric guitar)! That was it. I had the guitar and a pick and no amp, no cord, no book, haha. I had to wait until the next paycheck to get the cord and amp. The electric guitar didn’t last long as I still had no book, and no teacher. Pre-internet and pre-youtube days.

Jon (my husband) got me an acoustic guitar for my 19th birthday (we were married and in California in the Air Force at the time). I got some lessons and was strumming away in no time. I strummed on and off for a lot of years (mostly OFF). Then we moved to the foothills of the smokies and where the blue ridge mountains come near each other.

That is when I found the banjo! This time for Christmas, Jon got me a banjo. I started off playing Scruggs style and was pickin’ and grinnin’. Then about a year and a half later I had the opportunity to take a class on beginning clawhammer banjo. I had no idea what it even was but it had the word banjo in it, so I was game. Went into a group class for a week and came out with a NEW LOVE. A love that would blossom big-time! This was in 2005. I also heard a mountain dulcimer for the first time in that class also.

So I pretty quickly took off those metal picks and turned into a clawhammer player. I loved it! Still no youtube (that I really knew of anyway) at that point. Then in 2009 I found youtube and started watching players there. Jon plays guitar so I had him to play with at home, but I also sought out other players and would jam with folks. End of 2009 I bought my first dulcimer! Another NEW LOVE in my life bloomed.

In 2012 (we were now living in Orlando for my husbands work) – I started a band and began teaching banjo students at the house. Our little band was a lot of fun, so for a year we practiced every week and did some fun gigs.

In 2013 our dreams of moving back up here to the mountains came true again! This time we were in our little church band playing. We also performed some Morning Songs at the John C. Campbell Folk School (where I had originally taken that clawhammer class). Work, school, and medical issues kept me from doing much in the way of performing or lessons during this time. But I had a youtube channel and would put up quick lessons because I had a desire to help others. I had only wished I would have found lessons on youtube when I was learning.

Forward to 2018! Things changed with work, along with everything else in our lives, and I was at home! So I grabbed that banjo and started making more lessons. I got a dulcimer again (I had not played one for about 2 years and sold the one I played). Then I got on patreon and things started to grow. I also began teaching locally again. I get so much joy from teaching others!

End of 2020 I was able to launch my full lessons website BanjoLemonade.com! It now has over 500 lessons on it with close up videos where I talk you through things, tabs, and much more.

2021 and I’m ready to get out and travel to teach and perform. So as things open up I’ll be adding to my calendar and we will hit the road. In September 2021, I teamed up with Folkcraft Instruments to make short free dulcimer lessons on their channel. Bringing more FREE lessons to people all over!! Then on October 15, I was officially announced as the NEW Folkcraft Endorsed Artist!

On October 16th, 2021 I gave my first performance as a Folkcraft Artist at the Black Mountain Music Festival in NC! I performed in front of a live audience of 200 folks, and a FB audience of over 2,000 (and counting).