Bio
As a young teen, Jill’s mom found random gigs for her playing guitar and singing for events such as a legal secretaries luncheon and retired teachers gatherings. Later she graduated to playing solo for the coffee house and bar circuit in Santa Cruz, California and then Seattle, WA. In Seattle she started playing in few groups. It was with one of the groups that she traveled to Portland, OR which started her career here. Since then she has played guitar, mandolin, and electric bass with several bands in various styles of music from Top 40, Hard Rock, R & B, to Gypsy Bluegrass. Also in her range of experience was recording a CD of original music and appearances on local radio and TV channels.
In 1994, Jill graduated with a BA in Music focusing on Piano pedagogy, and in 1998, got her Masters Degree in Interdisiplinary Studies (MAIS), both from Marylhurst University. As for her teaching experience, it was soon after teaching herself to play guitar that she started sharing her knowledge with others. As she gained in experience and technique, she passed that on through private sessions at a local music store and later in her private studio. In 2007, she was encouraged to teach a songwriting class at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Cascade campus which started her on the Community Ed. path that she has followed up to now.
Jill wants to play music for the rest of her life. Her inspiration is the legendary blues guitarist , Elizabeth Cotten, who played into her nineties. To ensure her own longevity, She pays close attention to body mechanics and ergonomics. Since shifting her teaching practice to Zoom during the Covid crisis, she admits to sitting much more than she used to. Consequently, she has made a commitment to becoming more active and staying mindful about posture and how to hold her instruments. Jill believes it’s the teaching of music more than the music itself that has done the most to keep her mind agile. “As long as I’m teaching, I’m still learning.”
Her love of music translates to her joy of passing that on to her students. She invites creativity and curiosity while learning the basics of the instrument; whether that is guitar, ukulele, voice, piano, or electric bass guitar. She also does her best to work with a student’s particular learning style and desired musical focus. “It’s never too late to learn!”, she says.