1976

Since I graduated, I received an Associate Arts degree in Music, German, French, and Spanish from Okaloosa-Walton Junior College (Now North Florida University) in 1980 and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from University of Texas at San Antonio in 1984. I have taught for the past 40 years, 20 years as a full time teacher (19 Music Educator: Orchestra, Elementary, Choir, and Guitar; 1 Year Special Education Life Skills Teacher). The other years I taught in private schools and did several years of substitute teaching.. I have also been a part-time professional musician (piano, keyboard, organ, flute, piccolo, violin, and cello) and singer (high soprano), playing for weddings, funerals, receptions, and parties. I also play some guitar, soprano recorder, hand drums, and lever harp. I studied one summer during my high school years with David Bach, another Frankfurt American HIgh School graduate, who is now a famous Jazz Musician in Maryland. I also became a massage therapist in 1997. In May 2023, I completed a10 week Mariachi Instructor Certification course with John Lopez, Mariachi professor from South Texas University in San Marcos, Texas and San Antonio Collège in San Antonio, Texas.
In 1998, I married Jim Leatherland. He passed away in 2009. In 2015, I reconnected with a former fellow music student from University of Texas at San Antonio, Selby Ander, and we got married in 2016. We have a wonderful animal family of dogs, cats, parakeets, chickens, and a cockatiel. We are Catholic, but we are part of the Music Ministry at Chapel Hill United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas.
I also played flute, piccolo, soprano recorder, cello, piano, and key board for several community theater shows as well as playing piano for a few high school productions in San Antonio, Texas. I am currently preparing to start my own Mariachi group.
I love all kinds of music. So, Selby and I attend lots of concerts. We also love attending theatre productions and going to the movies.

I loved being in the Concert Band and in the Orchestra at Frankfurt American High School. Mr. Herbert Reid, who was both my Band Director and my Orchestra Director, was a wonderful mentor when I decided to go into music as a career. My main instrument was flute, but one year we needed to have oboe for the upcoming music festival. So, I learned to play the oboe, and I even got to play a solo for one of the pieces we played. That was an amazing experience!

Ankara, Turkey 1963-65
Rhein Main AFB 1972-76

Yes

When I was in the Frankfurt American High School Concert Band, we got to play for Miss USA, and we actually got to meet with her and talk with her. She was so nice and so sweet.
We also got to play with the United States Army Band. I felt so special.
Lastly, we got to play for many party groups during Fasching season, which is like an extended Mardi Gras season, only in Germany. We played in the parades in Offenbach for Fasching, but one year (my senior year), we actually got to play in the big parade in Frankfurt on Rosenmontag.

Well, I was born in Florida, but I’ve lived in Texas for several decades. So, I say I’m from San Antonio, Texas.

I loved going to the Frankfurt Opera House to listen to Classical music concerts. I also loved going to see my first opera, La Traviata, and my first ballet, Swan Lake, in Wiesbaden. My 9th grade English teacher arranged for us to go to both performances.

I got to visit Frankfurt. It had changed a little. They removed the street cars and only had subways, which saddened me, but other than that, it still seemed beautiful.

Europe