Shall

As young child, I was always humming and singing the songs I heard. My grandfather was a fiddler, it was on his old fiddle that I started playing by ear at five years old. Plucking the out of tune gut strings and matching my voice to the tone. It smelled like an old musty attic. I knew then that the violin was going to be my instrument of choice. Took violin in the public school system learning to read music in the fifth grade, it is hard to play Bach by ear! Ten years of music lessons gave me a strong background.

Marriage and children didn't permit time for the violin except on birthdays and holidays, entertaining the children. In the 80's my son wanted to play the guitar. Together we learned two chord tunes and progressed to jazz chords. It was wonderful watching him learn and using his ears. We joined OMFA and Mi. Fiddlers, playing at their events until October 1990. Coming home from a jam and dance in Hastings, an under-aged drunk driver changed my life. I had several body injuries, with the worse being a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). My life stopped. After two years in out-patient rehab learning lost skills, new strategies and physical therapy for stroke like weakness on my left side, I was off on my own to live. That is when GM decided to transfer us to WV.
It took six years to stabilize. In 1996, I decided to figure out a way to play the violin. Sounding awful, realizing that I couldn't play as I once could, I worked until I could hold it and from repeatition learned tunes.
Playing music improved my memory, thought process, muscle memory and organic depression. I still deal with many brain related issues and learning disabilities.

The Eastern Panhandle of WV and the DC area has great musicians. The Shepherdstown Dulcimer Festivals introduced me to the best, giving me the opportunity to play music and develope friendships with Sam Rizetta, Maddie MacNeil, Karen Ashbrook, Walt Michaels, Paul Orts, and many more. In 1997, with encouagement from Sam, I recorded with Sam. In turn he recorded and produced my first CD-Slightly Tweaked- a gift to my family. I had survived the TBI. Morning Star Consort, was created and off I went. Playing 800 years of music from Early Music to Jazz, with a love for Irish Music. Performing in historic landmarks in DC, VA, WV, PA,MA and VA. Working for several government agencies; Veterans Association,State Department, Office of Personnel and National Conservation Training Center took me to Colorado, Virginia,and Alabama. I can truthfully say that I have played just about every venue out there! Including, being the first fiddler to play at Arlington.

In 2006, GM transfered us back to Michigan, leaving our children and grandchildren has been very difficult. MSC disbanded sadly in 2007, it was too difficult and expensive to travel back and forth for gigs. My husband of 40 years, Sonny, retired from GM but works for free by driving me around the country in our motorhome. He is the BEST Roadie.

So PLEASE ignore the spelling errors. Feel free to fix them. If you talk to me and I don't act like I hear you...say my name, Sharon. Don't bother asking if I know the name of a tune or what Key it is in, I will hesitate, and give you blank eyes. Just play a few notes or a chord and I will jump in. I can pick up most tunes easy, but recall only for a short time after. I have difficulty in large jams, you will see me sitting on the edge of the group or in a small group. Distractions really throw me off, so if I get up and leave suddenly, don't be upset. I was just overwhelmed. My hearing is 10 times more enhanced, so I hear every out of tune note...awful tough on me at Evart!
With that said, this gal just wants to fiddle around and have fun. Come be a part of my MUSICAL JOURNEY!