How long have you worshiped at Saint Philip’s?
Since 2006 when my husband Larry and I moved with our two children, Thomas and Abby, from Bucks County in Pennsylvania.

The kids were eight and five years old respectively, so we had them join everything at church to help them adjust. And years later, Abby is now a lay clerk (paid staff singer) in the choir. Thomas was also a lay clerk before graduate school and work became too demanding.

Where did you grow up?
In the Air Force. My family moved to Tucson when I was 15 years old. We left northern California with its moisture, fog, and redwoods and landed here. It was such a stark transition that I thought I’d died and gone to hell. And here I am again—but with a different attitude.

Were you raised in a faith tradition?
My parents were both devout Roman Catholics. There was no parochial school where we lived but we attended catechism classes every Saturday.

When I moved to Tucson as a high school sophomore, my parents enrolled me at Salpointe Catholic High School because District 16 didn’t have its own high school yet; that was also a bit of an adjustment.

How did you find your way to the Episcopal church?
In college, I dated a boy who grew up attending St. Michael & All Angels Church at 5th and Wilmot and I would go to church with him.

But as a good Roman Catholic, I was told that attending church with him didn’t count so I would go to St. Cyril’s Sunday night Mass as well—just to hedge my bets.

Eventually I dared not to attend St. Cyril’s and, after not getting struck by lightning (which I really feared would happen), I stopped attending church entirely. I’d attended Salpointe and played the guitar in my home parish’s youth folk/rock group every Sunday throughout high school, so I felt I had enough church to last me for quite awhile.

When I moved to New York to launch my career as a singer, I took paid singing jobs in a variety of denominations—including a reformed synagogue—and was exposed to many different points of view. I began to appreciate that “in God’s house there are many mansions” and to respect the validity of mansions other than the one in which I grew up.

One of my church jobs was at an Episcopal church on the Upper West Side; that’s where I felt most at home. When we moved to Bucks County, we joined a wonderful Episcopal parish and were formally received into the Episcopal Church there. I felt I had come full circle somehow.

What about Saint Philip’s appeals to you?
The music and how it fills me spiritually, its unquestioning acceptance of people who would be marginalized elsewhere, and its commitment to social justice.

Singing in a choir is a communal activity. It forges relationships that are very intimate. I am grateful to be part of that community.

How have you volunteered over the years?
I was a choir mom when my children were younger. The choir parents were a very tight group; we worked together on fundraising activities like the annual rummage sale, Lenten soup suppers, summer breakfasts, and special music events to raise money to support the children’s choir program, including the very first UK choir residency.

I served on the Vestry, and was Junior Warden for several years. I was also on the search committee that called Fr Robert to Saint Philip’s.

I was on the Board for Friends of Music which is now the Music Commission, and helped with a huge fundraiser every year. Rising Stars emerged from a series of recitals we used to hold at lunch during Lent.

I’ve also always sung in the choir. Right now I’m the Soprano One lay clerk (and my daughter, Abby, is the Soprano Two lay clerk).

What do you do professionally?
I work for Arizona Public Media, Tucson’s PBS and NPR member station. I’ve been there 12 years, and run the administrative services department, am the Executive Assistant to the CEO, and manage the Community Advisory Board. It’s a great job!

What do you do to relax?
I like to read. A choir colleague gave me a copy of Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults upon Our Language by Richard Lederer, a collection of things people have misspelled and misspoken, which I enjoyed immensely and which gave me some much-needed laughs.

And I find myself rereading my favorite books when I’m in need of solace; it’s like visiting with old friends. Right now I’m rereading Fr. Robert Farrar Capon’s The Supper of the Lamb.

What’s something you’re proud of?
My two kids. They are the most amazing human beings, and I credit Saint Philip’s with some of that. My primary goal as a parent was not to screw them up too badly. I let them do things that helicopter parents wouldn’t—and it all worked out well. They both have amazing work ethics.

What’s something you find challenging?
Letting go of control. It’s hard for me regardless of how low the stakes are.

For example, I can tetrus the dishwasher so I have to bite my tongue when I let anyone else load the dishwasher instead of me.

What’s something you know now that your younger self didn’t?
How much I don’t know! But I’ve also learned that there are no guarantees. If I can’t enjoy where I am at this moment then I can’t enjoy my life. Because tomorrow may not come and yesterday is over.

Is there a decision you made that had a real impact on your life?
By the time I began college, I’d heard regularly that I was very talented and had a beautiful voice. So when I didn’t get the lead part in a show—and was stuck in the chorus—I didn’t accept that with much grace. I pouted for the first few rehearsals.

But then I took a moment and told myself I could be miserable and make everyone else miserable or I could accept the role I thought unworthy of my talents and have a good time. That changed my entire outlook—and the experience.

Ever since then, I truly don’t care if I get the lead, the solo or the accolades. It’s about enjoying the work, not about being the star.

There are very famous singers who have terrible work habits and no one wants to work with them. I’m grateful I figured out that if I couldn’t be the lead, I could at least be pleasant to work with.

What’s one of your core values?
Honesty. I try to include some compassion with my honesty but it can come out a bit harshly. (As I’ve gotten older my filter has gotten diluted so that happens more than it used to.)

What’s one of your guiding principles?
Put one foot in front of the other and do what needs to be done. Keep going.

You’ve had to do that a lot this past year.
I have. My husband, Larry, fell ill about a year ago and it’s been a saga. We’re still trying to figure out exactly what’s wrong—and aren’t promised a concrete answer. Larry is getting better but his progress is slow and it’s going to be a long road. And there’s no guarantee he will recover fully.

What’s helped you navigate this challenging time?
The people who make up the Saint Philip’s community. The choir, the Stephen Ministry volunteers, Deacon Anne, Guy Coleman, Justin Appel—so many people have helped Larry and me. There’s not much anyone can do to change the situation but the friendship and emotional support that we’ve received has made all the difference.

And I absolutely could not have handled this without Abby and Thomas. Abby, especially—she’s taken on the lion’s share of the daytime caregiving with compassion and grace that far exceed her years.

What’s something you’re grateful for?
My children, my family, and the fantastic friends we have who have come through in times of crisis. This current one isn’t the first and it won’t be the last. All those relationships are what I’m most grateful for.

What’s one of your super powers?
I have high standards but I’m not demanding. That means I can make do—and improvise—with what I have. I’m very resourceful.

You’re a bit of a McGyver with your resourcefulness, right?
I once helped fish car keys out of an outhouse toilet with a sleeping bag cord and a flashlight that had a magnet on the side.

When our car was frozen, I heated up an herbal heat pack and put it on the battery. It started right away.

What’s something about you that friends have said they really appreciate?
That when the chips are down or there’s a crisis, I’m present. And I bring deviled eggs.

What’s something you’ve never done that you’d like to try?
I would love to learn to ski. But parasailing looks just as much fun and is probably less likely to result in frostbite or broken bones.

Have you done anything risky lately?
Every time I open my mouth to sing I take a huge risk.

The human body as an instrument is notoriously risky. I’ve opened my mouth and had a fly enter. I swallowed wrong during a phrase and had to make a joke of it. Audiences are usually very understanding…but still.

Think about it. A pianist can still play with a slight cold. But singers are delicate creatures; our bodies are affected by emotional distress, as well as physical changes.

Singers also have to develop the hide of a rhinoceros to deal with criticism and failure.

What might people be surprised to learn about you?
That I’m actually quite shy and introverted. I’ve learned to function as an extrovert out of necessity.

What’s a fun fact about you?
I sang the national anthem at the Doubletree Inn on Alvernon at a conference where the actor Gregory Peck was the keynote speaker. He was the personification of dignity, class, and graciousness and I was thoroughly starstruck!