Judy's Biography

Concise

Living in Maryland, Judy has been on the road since the early 1990s, making her own the songs and ballads of traditional Americana and the British Isles. She has family roots in Virginia, lucky enough to be born into a family who loved music.

This led to her personal discovery of the rich and varied treasure of folk music and was the inspiration for recording, so far, two projects, the first, "If You Sing Songs…", being an album of unaccompanied traditional songs and ballads. This was followed by "Far From the Lowlands," both successes and both allowing her to express her folk spirit and talent.

She is respected on both sides of the Atlantic as both a singer and interpreter of traditional songs. Her vast & varied repertoire has resulted in an array of entertaining and informative themed programs enthusiastically received by universities, historical societies, festivals, and folks wherever she goes.

Longer

Born in Virginia, the third of four children, Judy grew up with singing from both parents and a love for music. “We sang at the table, we sang washing dishes, we sang riding in the car, they sang lullabies to us.” Informal singing went beyond the immediate family: Judy’s father called singing squares for neighborhood dances and played songs on the piano by ear; Judy’s mother made sure singing was a big part of the scout troops she led; extended family gatherings often featured evening sings.Judy’s sense of whimsy and joy of singing surely date from her earliest years.

A solid appreciation for music and singing goes back further yet. Generations of Judy’s family have attended Oberlin College where proximity to the conservatory of music ensured plenty of personal experience with good music and musicians. Though she never really knew them, Judy’s ancestors included preachers, teachers, and elocutionists; if there is a gene that predisposes one to love delivering a good story, Judy has it.

As she took her place in the folk community, Judy began researching the songs she loved and discovered the wealth of written, recorded, and personal sources for traditional songs and ballads. “I sang with friends at Scout camp, and Oberlin College, but lacked a communal setting for sharing the songs until I joined the Folklore Society of Greater Washington.” Through FSGW Judy met other folks who love the old songs. They could get excited talking about variants and sources. Her respect for traditional music was already strong, but continued to deepen as she started visiting old bookstores and the Library of Congress to learn from the many rich collections of traditional songs and ballads. Judy’s idea of a good time is to spend a Saturday night, or better yet a whole weekend with friends singing songs and ballads that have been memorized and polished. “The folk community is wide; we’ve enjoyed swaps and sing-arounds both at home and wherever we travel.”

Judy began performing professionally in the early 1990’s when people she met at song swaps began asking her to sing at their festival’s and coffeehouses. “My self confidence grew as I realized that there are a lot of people who love the songs I sing, and that I get such joy from sharing them with those people.” In England, Sara Grey introduced Judy to the British folk community at the Whitby Festival in ‘97 and David Jones at The National in ’96. When Judy decided to start touring in 1998 she did so in the UK as well as in the USA right from the start. She has quickly come to be well respected on both sides of the Atlantic as a singer and propagator of the old songs. Her joy in singing, deep respect for the tradition, and sense of humor delight her listeners.

Judy’s first full length recording of unaccompanied traditional songs and ballads, “ If You Sing Songs…” was released in 1998, followed two years later by “Far From the Lowlands”.