I was born in Lovell, Wyoming, the third of nine children of Dean and Rebecca Walker. They are a part of my great ancestral heritage, which includes a great musical heritage. I learned to love music at my mother’s knee and from listening to my grandparents, aunts, and uncles play various instruments and sing at family reunions.
My parents bought me a toy piano when I was young and I liked picking out tunes, so they provided me piano lessons beginning at age 5. Throughout my life I have been an accompanist and piano teacher. From fourth grade through college I accompanied all my music classes and choirs on the piano. I volunteered and accompanied my children’s music classes, choirs, and music festivals. Later I was employed as an accompanist for elementary through high school choirs for many years. When I was about twelve, our ward organist and family friend taught me about our ward organ and some basic organ techniques. Since then I have been ward organist many times. I always love to accompany people in musical numbers and festivals.
I began writing lyrics to existing tunes in grade school. In junior high I began composing music with guitar accompaniment. In high school I composed my first original song with piano accompaniment and performed it at various locations in Wyoming, Montana, and Utah at Seminary and Young Adult functions and other meetings. I graduated from Montana State University—Billings (MSUB) with a Bachelor’s in Music Pedagogy with an Extended Music Major rather than a minor. Besides piano pedagogy, my studies included conducting, theory, harmony, and composition. I have written and performed music for stake conferences, a ward women’s conference, sacrament meetings, funerals, firesides, roadshows, girls’ camps, talent shows, and many special occasions. I gather my family as often as possible to sing around the piano or guitar.
In 2018-19 I served a mission with my husband in Mesa, Arizona, where I performed many of my songs at daily devotionals at the Records Operation Center (ROC). It is my greatest desire to continue to serve the Lord musically and in any other way He sees fit.