Inspiring Women Winter 2018

December 2018, Volume 2, Issue 4
September 2017, Volume 1, Issue 3
CELEBRATING LIVES ACROSS THE FAWCO WORLD
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INSPIRATION IN THIS ISSUE
An Introduction to Our Women in Music 4
England: A Lover of Mozart ! 5
Germany: Music for Children 8
Switzerland: Reviving Peggy Lee’s Songs? 12
Germany: In the Piano Zone 17
USA: 40 Years At The Opera! 24
Norway: A Note From Oslo via Hawaii 28
Austria: Singing For the Lord 32
Switzerland: A Life of Jazz 35
Germany: A Musical Teacher 37
Spain: The “Singing Housing Specialist” 41
USA: Dreaming of Accordions 44
Germany: Musical Theater Brought to Life 51
Belgium: Regular Season Tickets 55
France: Vocal Jazz Parisian Style 58
Germany: Life As a Viola Player 62
Luxembourg: Bringing Joy Through Singing 65
Switzerland: In the Opera Chorus 67
OUR FEATURES
Around The FAWCO World In 62 Images 11
What to look for in an Expat Tax Preparer 16
A Club Inspires: AWC Gothenburg 21
Just For Fun 1 31
A Letter to My Master Teacher 48
Just For Fun 2 61
IN EVERY ISSUE
Inspiration From the Editor 3
From The Cover Coordinator 3
Inspiring You 70
Magazine Feedback 70
More About This Issue 71
Coming Next Spring 72
Janet Darrow p. 10
Esquire Group p. 16
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX
London & Capital p. 27
The Pajama Company p. 30
Want to take your business worldwide? Consider advertising in Inspiring
Women. Contact Elsie Bose at advertising@fawco.org to get started.
FAWCO would like to thank Esquire Group, our Premier Sponsor, for
underwriting Inspiring Women. In this issue we have an interesting
column on page 16, written by Esquire Group’s president,
Jimmy Sexton.
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Inspiration From the Editor
So here we are
almost at the end of
another packed
FAWCO year! Time
has certainly flown
again in 2018; I
hope it’s been a
good year for you.
This issue of Inspiring
Women is filled with
musical notes. We
have the written
musical stories of
the profilees for you to read, but we are thrilled
to be able to offer you the chance to hear
their actual music, too. Just click the button to
hear them perform!
We also have one profilee whose inclusion
may puzzle you. So why in a magazine called
Inspiring Women do we have a male musician
profiled? Today Rick is the 1st VP of FAUSA
(FAWCO’s sister organization in the US), but he
first got involved when his husband got
transferred to Switzerland. Rick persuaded the
ladies of AWC Zurich to change their rules, he
joined them, and the rest is history.
the bus’ during the pre-Mumbai conference
tour we did in India in 2016! He is incredibly
musical, so I felt this was a great chance for
you all to get to know him. He is certainly
inspiring and works hard within the FAWCO
world, too.
I encourage you to send in your photos for our
FAWCO 62 collection. We really would like to
feature every single FAWCO club but can only
do it with your help. Turn to p.11 for the details.
All that remains now is for me to wish you all
happy holidays and tell you how much I am
looking forward to seeing many of you at the
conference in Edinburgh in March.
Best wishes, Liz x
Liz MacNiven,
inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
I first met Rick at the Frankfurt IM where he was
Mr. Video for the conference and then some
of us got to know him better in ‘the back of
From The Cover Coordinator
The cover photo for this issue is an image of Christine Federspiel-Huvos
who is a singer and member of AWC Zurich, Switzerland. She attracts
diverse audiences with her original interpretation of French chansons,
American musicals, jazz and blues. The cover shows her in Zürich during
her last gala concert which benefitted the Lebensfreude Foundation.
If you have a photo that you would like to see on a future cover of
Inspiring Women, you can reach me, Marie-Bénédicte Luxem, at
inspiringwomen.cover@fawco.org. There are full details of photo
requirements on page 72 of this magazine. Please note: we can only
accept portrait orientation images.
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“Music does a lot of things for a lot of people. It's transporting, for sure. It
can take you right back, years back, to the very moment certain things
happened in your life. It's uplifting, it's encouraging, it's strengthening.”
Aretha Franklin
Music has its own language of symbols and numbers. A piece of music
achieves greatness when it disrupts time. Who are those that dare to
create the language, the sound, the movement that enters the most
private parts of an individual’s soul? Is music their passion or salvation?
They say those with musical talent have a gift - how did they receive it?
The people profiled in this issue have astonishing talent; they share with us
their stories of how they came to music (or how it came to them). How
do they find the balance between containing and controlling their talent
and stoking the fire of creativity to achieve artistic success? Some of our
profilees have chosen to guide others in maximizing their musical abilities;
they share with us their stories of what musical success means to them.
This issue also includes our first profilee for whom the “Inspiring” in our
magazine’s title could be considered a verb and not an adjective…we
are so excited to be able to include this person!
And if that isn’t enough, for your enjoyment we have added SOUND as a
new element to your online experience! Just look for the boxes, click and
enjoy as our profilees perform their music!
Finally, I wish all of you a very happy holiday
season!
Elsie Bose
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England: A Lover of Mozart!
ROBIN SMIRNOV
Chilterns American Women’s Club
International, England
From: Little Meadows, Pennsylvania
Lives: Amersham, Buckinghamshire, UK
love affair with performing.
I grew up in Little Meadows, Pennsylvania, which is a
beautiful, very rural area, and my family can’t seem
to remember a time when I wasn’t singing
constantly! I was in my first opera when I was just four
years old. I was a gorgeous little gingerbread cookie
in the children’s chorus of Hansel and Gretel. I loved
everything about it – the hair, makeup, costumes,
music, the lights, the stage! It was the start of my
I sang and performed my entire way through school and went to university at Westminster Choir
College, a world renowned music conservatory in Princeton, NJ. I was surrounded by some of
the most talented and inspirational students and faculty in the world, and here developed my
love and understanding of everything to do with music, singing and performing. In addition to
performing in many operas and song recitals, our university choir regularly went on tour and
recorded albums. We performed many times a year with the NY Philharmonic, Philadelphia
Orchestra and the NJ Symphony at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, etc. under the batons of
some of the world’s most respected conductors.
These experiences completely shaped my
musical life and gave me the most wonderful
artistic foundation that I will carry forever.
Between my 3 rd and 4 th years of university I had
the privilege to live in London for a year and it
was love at first sight! I decided to do my
masters degree at the Royal Academy of Music
in London. My time at the Royal Academy was
absolutely magical and I specialized in art song
and languages. I completely fell in love with the
beauty of the melodies and poetry in French
and German songs. I loved performing song
recitals and oratorios and sang in my last opera
as the High Priestess in Aida when I was six
months pregnant with my daughter. I am a busy
single mom to Violetta and Viktor and I love to
sing for local charity galas and events, and the
parent/teacher choirs at my children’s schools.
My greatest joy is sharing music with my children
and passing on my love and knowledge of
music to them. Our house is always full of music
that we are either making or listening to (singing,
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piano, violin, trumpet and guitar) and
I hope I can help my children to
develop their musical interests so that
they can carry it with them for the
rest of their lives! Music is the gift that
keeps on giving!
My earliest musical influence was my
music teacher at school, Susan Lewis.
She is one of the most special people
that I have ever met and remains my
dear friend to this day. She was the
most amazing teacher and support!
At Westminster Choir College, I had
the pleasure of singing under Joseph
Flummerfelt who makes magic
happen with his conducting. He has
a very special, soft artistry that brings the most beautiful sounds and musical moments out of his
singers. The lessons he taught me about music while singing in his choir are endless.
My relationship with music is ever-changing and
evolving as I journey through life... I will always
have my favourite memories and pieces of
music but, there is always room for more. I have
discovered that I can’t live without music and
that singing makes my heart happy. And
listening and watching my children sing and
perform music is my favourite thing in the entire
world. Music transcends our differences and
brings us together.
I would like to think that I have brought joy to
many people through my singing. Whether it be
in a concert hall or at a wedding or funeral, I
hope that I have touched the hearts of those
listening. That makes me proud.
When I am listening to music I feel it is pure
happiness and when I am performing, it is the
most wonderful feeling of excitement mixed
with a bit of worry that everything will go as it is
supposed to! But, when I see that the audience
is feeling comfortable and enjoying themselves,
I can relax into my performance. And the
applause? That feeling is indescribable….
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Strauss’s Four Last Songs for their divine
beauty of music and poetry.
Brahm’s Requiem for the stunning melodies and memories that I have of singing it.
Everything musical theatre for the joy and happiness that it brings, especially my favourite
Les Miserables.
The “Intermezzo” from Cavalleria Rusticana because it pulls at my heart strings!
And anything that my daughter sings while accompanying herself on the piano.... that is
my very favourite. Sheer bliss!
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GETTING TO KNOW ROBIN
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I have a secret
love of pop music, thanks to my daughter!
If you could perform with, or meet, one
musician/group of musicians, dead or alive,
who would it/they be and what music would
you like to play and why? Mozart, Mozart,
Mozart! I would love to be surrounded with
his genius even for a moment. I would sing
Mozart’s famous aria “Porgi Amor” from his
opera The Marriage of Figaro and he would
accompany me. OMG!!
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would love to play the piano and
tennis better and I would like to stop being so
busy. I would like more moments to just be.
Complete this sentence: The most unusual
place I have performed or listened to music
was… the most unusual (and my favourite)
place that I have performed was a little town
square on a mountain in the Cinque Terre
region in Italy. Overlooking the sea and the
mountains, it was simply the most beautiful
place to sing.
If we looked in your purse/wallet/pocket what
three things would we find that would tell us
something about you? Lots of different pink
lipstick, my very full diary and my sunglasses.
“Being a
musician, it’s my
job to be real
and true to
whoever I am.
Hopefully that
will inspire other
people. I hope
it inspires
people to be
themselves and
be comfortable
in their own
skin.” – YUNA
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Germany: Music for Children
MIEKE STOEL
Augsburg International Women’s Association
From: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Lives: Augsburg, Germany
I was born in Amsterdam and grew up in the east of
Holland. My mother was a good amateur pianist and
accompanied my sister and me when singing children’s
songs. So I guess I could sing before I could speak. I had
my first piano lessons at age nine. I got to know a lot of
piano repertoire through my mother, who played many
of the great Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann and
Debussy pieces.
After finishing school, I started to study piano, chamber
music and vocal accompaniment in Holland and
attended master classes in England.
I left Holland at age 27 to live and work in Vienna.
Meanwhile, I had specialized in the field of physical
Photographer: Ran Keren
problems and worked as a music physiology teacher at
the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna from
1985-2014. One of the most important methods I had been trained in was the Feldenkrais
method – “awareness through movement.” Not only did the Feldenkrais method offer the ideal
tools to help music students prevent injuries, it also meant a real breakthrough for my personal
pianistic development. I travelled throughout Europe, the United States and Asian countries
giving concerts, lectures and workshops. Since autumn 2014 I have lived in Augsburg, Germany
with my second husband, the cellist Hartmut Tröndle. I work freelance, giving concerts with
various chamber music groups and singers as well as teaching.
Today I am preparing for concerts
with my piano quartet “SuedamA”
and will start a new project this winter
with children’s concerts. I have a
dream to open the road to music for
children through small concerts in a
familiar atmosphere, accompanied
by storytelling and projecting
illustrations from old fairy-tale books.
At the same time as working on the
children’s concerts, I work for “Live
Music Now,” a foundation initiated
by Lord Yehudi Menuhin. The idea is
that hand-picked young musicians
go to play for people who can’t get
to any live concerts by themselves.
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I credit my parents for giving me the chance to get in touch with great classical music at a very
early age. They took me to concerts, and there was also a lot of active music making in our
home. My mother played the piano, my father the flute and the cello. At age eight, I got to
know Schubert’s Winterreise, a piece of music that touched me deeply and had a great
influence in my musical development. Later, teachers, musical partners, concerts and CDs
became the sources of inspiration.
Through music I have gotten to know wonderful people and formed great friendships that have
lasted a lifetime (I am 61 now).
I think that to live with the masterpieces of art, to dive deeply into the spirit of the genius
composers, who – in my opinion– have given a heavenly message to mankind, is an
incomparable gift that I’m grateful for every day.
Even later in life, I have discovered that with a deep
commitment to music, one can still have great breakthroughs.
It’s amazing. As a musician, I am grateful for every little step
forward I am able to take. I rarely allow myself the opportunity
to stand still and enjoy a success or spend time looking
backward. When I am listening to music, my feelings vary from
boredom to anger to absolute admiration, joy and deep
attachment. Then while I am performing, my feelings vary from
anxiety, insecurity, and despair to joy, conviction, devotion,
happiness and euphoria.
GETTING TO KNOW MIEKE
If you could perform with, or meet, one
musician/group of musicians, dead or alive,
who would it/they be and what music would
you like to play and why?
I would love to meet Johannes Brahms and
walk with him around the Altausseer See in the
Austrian Salzkammergut.
Complete this sentence: The most unusual
place I have performed or listened to music
was… What was good and/or less good about
it as a venue? ….an open air concert during
the solar eclipse in the Austrian mountains. We
performed a symphonic poem by Liszt. It got
dark, the birds stopped singing. It was magical.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would love to improve in everything
that means something to me (cooking,
gardening, being a good wife, a good
daughter or a good grandmother, a devoted
friend and a trillion other things) and to stop
wasting time.
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Photographer Christina Bleier

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The world can seem like a very big place but for FAWCO women it is represented
by 62 different cities or areas. We would like to collect a photo, taken by you,
which in your mind best depicts the city or area you live in. It can be a place, a
landscape, a person, a cultural highlight, a culinary speciality, but most importantly
when you see it, it evokes your home away from home.
The Inspiring Women team is creating a special photographic collection of images
of our 62 FAWCO clubs, each image representing the diversity of our geographical
homes. The collection will be used in the IW magazine and, we hope, exhibited in
Edinburgh during our next FAWCO international conference.
So all you need to do is send in
your good quality JPEG images.
Please feel free to add some
creativity, your own artistic and
personal touch. Images can be
color or black & white and we
need them no later than
December 31 st , 2018. Send to
Marie-Bénédicte Luxem at
inspiringwomen.cover@fawco.org
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Switzerland: Reviving Peggy Lee’s Songs?
CHRISTINE HUVOS-FEDERSPIEL
American Women’s Club of Zurich, Switzerland
From: Rochester, Minnesota
Lives: Zurich, Switzerland
I was born in Rochester, Minnesota, on November 30,
1957. My father had gotten his first really big job there as
a construction engineer, after having obtained his
degree from Columbia University, and contributed to
building IBM’s “Big Blue” in Rochester, Minnesota. My
parents, both originally Austro-Hungarians, were so happy
to have been welcomed by the Land of the Free after
difficult times on the Old Continent. They wanted both
their children to be Americans; however, soon after my
birth, my father was offered a job by IBM in Vienna,
Austria, where my brother was born.
In the early sixties, my father was moved to Paris which is
where we spent our childhood, enjoying every minute of
it. Paris in the sixties was very glamourous and it was also
the city of French chansons. That is how I began to sing Edith Piaf, Yves Montand, Gilbert
Bécaud, Barbara…relentlessly… in our living room! This did not stop me from learning all the songs
from My Fair Ladys, among other musicals. I knew them all by heart by the time I was ten.
In the early 70s we moved back to Vienna where my brother and I attended the Lycée Français
de Vienne, thereby not losing our French. It was during these years that I discovered my passion
for opera and started to train as an opera singer, taking lessons from the same teacher as Edita
Gruberova. Nonetheless, I was told by an opera singer that my voice was simply not “strong”
enough to sing at the Vienna State Opera. This was a huge disappointment for me, and after
that, I decided to forget about music and dedicate my energy to other things… or so I thought!
Once I left home, I studied in
Paris and got training as a
singer from a Parisian voice
coach who had been
recommended to me by some
of my Viennese friends.
However, at this stage, I was
no longer interested in
becoming an opera singer; I
wanted to sing French
chansons – and so I did!
After my studies, I ended up
working as an ESL and German
teacher at the American
International School in Vienna,
but I never stopped singing in
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my spare time. I performed several times on Austrian
television in the late 80s and early 90s, including singing
French and German ballads that I had composed and
written together with my mother.
After my divorce from my high school sweetheart in
1999, I obtained my TESL Certificate (Teaching English as
a Second Language), and moved on to teach French
and German in Kuwait, Frankfurt and finally in Zurich.
I met my husband, Dr. med. Urs Federspiel, in Zurich, at
the movies! Urs heard me sing at a charity concert for
the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund a few months later
at a café. After that, our fate was happily sealed. Since
our marriage in 2006, I have been working for my
husband’s medical practice as a secretary. But I never
stopped singing and have recorded four albums (in a
private capacity) in the past twelve years, thanks to my
husband’s support. Last year, on the occasion of my Big
Birthday, I sang with Pepe Lienhard’s Big Band at the
Volkshaus in Zurich. We had a full house with over 1,000
attendees and all proceeds went to the charity
LEBENSFREUDE.
I am presently working on the completion of two bilingual song albums (French/English) in which
I cover songs of well-known artists, as well as some of my own pieces. I would like to continue
working on projects together with big bands like Pepe Lienhard’s Big Band in Switzerland and in
the US as well as continuing to write my own songs, and exploring new musical directions. I find
that particularly exciting and enriching! I particularly love working on projects that combine
different musical styles, for instance classical music and rock – like Freddy Mercury did with
Montserrat Caballé when they sang Barcelona. In addition, I have accepted several offers to
perform for audiences in local hotels and museums in Zurich this year and in 2019. In other
words, it doesn’t have to be the Volkshaus every night…
I think that being able to make people happy by singing for them is a very special gift, and I am
very grateful for it. So, as long as I can, I will sing. But at the risk of sounding naïve, I have been
surprised by the competitiveness and the harshness of the world of music and have never quite
gotten used to it. That is why I gave up my dreams of becoming a “star” quite early in life. The
price was simply too high…
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But there is not just one
world of music, and that is
what I thrive on; making
people happy by singing
for them is my world of
music! Music has saved me
from depression and
sadness throughout my life.
Concerts for smaller and
larger audiences have
proven to be some of the
most rewarding
experiences in my life. It is a
wonderful feeling to give so
much pleasure to your
audience simply by singing

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a beautiful tune with passion and
exactitude! I love the reactions I
get when I sing. More
importantly, I love discovering
new kinds of music and new
artists in every field. It is a
wonderful and rewarding
adventure every time…
The benefits of this great passion
of mine have been more than
positive: I generally sing for good
causes, and have also
successfully gotten my friends
involved in theater and music by
founding amateur theatrical
groups at the schools where I
have taught, and within the
international clubs I have been
involved in. I believe my strength lies in my musicality and my ability to mix styles and perform in
different languages; these have given me the chance to create entirely new versions of “oldies.”
And, although I am well aware of the fact that I am no longer “young,” I feel young at heart and
believe I still have a long way to go when it comes to my creativity!
When I listen to my favorite music, I disappear into a world of my own. I can cry to the sound of
blues – a song can indeed make you feel your vulnerable spots - but I also find myself singing
along to my favorite chansons. I can also voice and vent my feelings of disappointment with
some of my favorite rock idols. In any case, listening to music is always a very intense voyage
and a particularly emotional experience for me. Someone once said to me that listening to
music should be like a ceremony celebrating the synchronicity of the sound and your emotions. I
thought that was very well put.
Performing is another story altogether, although this, too, is an escape from reality into a world of
my own. At the same time, when I am singing,
whether I am recording or on stage, I am a
different persona entirely. I am actually quite
shy so it is like a metamorphosis. And, of course,
there is this catharsis when the public responds
to you; all of a sudden, you have the sense of
togetherness with the audience. Someone
once said about me: “This little woman, who
looked so harmless five minutes ago, got on
stage and all of a sudden, it was like there was
an explosion. She was someone else and we
listened in awe!”
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Georges Bizet’s Carmen, is an opera I
never tire of listening to, and “L’amour est
un oiseau de rebelle” is an aria I would
love to perform in French and in Spanish,
combining different styles, à la Freddy
Mercury.
I would very much like to work on a
modern arrangement of Beethoven’s Ode
to Joy and re-write the lyrics as a kind of

ode to humanity and tolerance, in four or five languages. It could be performed together
with a flash mob of dancers, rappers, singers and musicians of different cultures, filmed in
front of all kinds of different places of faith with protagonists from all those different worlds.
We would finish the piece by all holding our hands up in an act of solidarity. I think
Jerusalem would provide an excellent “backdrop” since so many religions are represented
there. I believe it could also be done as a You Tube clip, using a few technical tricks… I
really liked Nürnberg’s flashmob’s rendition of Ode an die Freude in 2014, but I thought one
could do so much more with this beautiful piece of music. The Ode to Joy is a piece of
music that I never tire of listening to, as it fills my heart with optimism.
Another favorite of mine is Charles Aznavour’s song “La Bohème.” That song touches every
chord in my body. It is about youth and freedom and all the things I believe in. And
Aznavour was my hero in every way!
As already mentioned, Freddy Mercury and Montserrat
Caballé performing “Barcelona” together 30 years ago is
another inspiration for me in every way. I would very much
like to perform a duet with an opera singer.
And, last but not least, I love Peggy Lee’s songs, and hope
to get a chance to revive them within the next few years.
GETTING TO KNOW CHRISTINE
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I am the coauthor
and photographer of the book Stalin
im Kopf, which was first published in May 1993.
My ex -husband and I interviewed survivors of
the dictatorship.
Also in the 80s as part of my job, I got to
interview Greek singer, Nana Mouskouri, on
the occasion of one of her concerts in Vienna.
If you could perform with a musician, who
would it be? I would love to perform together
with Quincy Jones who I greatly admire and
respect. My dream would be to perform
chansons, jazz, swing and blues - and perhaps
even some of my own songs - for a charity
concert. Perhaps even together with his
greatest fan, Swiss band leader Pepe Lienhard
and his Big Band. And since dreaming is not
forbidden, I am still hopeful that this dream will
come true some day, somehow, somewhere!
The most unusual place I have performed in
was: the Volkshaus in Zurich last year, but
mainly because of the circumstances: It was
indeed a huge challenge for me to sing there
on my 60th Birthday and our wedding
anniversary. We had a full house with over
1,000 attendees and people came to listen to
me from all over the world. The venue was
really incredible, but I only got a soundcheck
instead of a proper rehearsal, which was not
easy for me. But I survived…and it was an
incredible learning experience, from start to
finish. Truly unforgettable!
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at/things you would like to stop
doing? I would like to be more organized and
more disciplined. From an artist’s point of view,
I would very much like to continue learning
how to sing styles that do not come easily to
me, not just the “in-bred” chansons that
everybody seems to want to hear me sing.
I would like to stop letting negative people
influence me in any way, stop letting negative
criticism get me depressed, and concentrate
on all the positive energies I receive.
Then on a very superficial note, I would like to
stop being so gourmande, as I know I would
look much prettier if I finally got to lose those
dreadful three kilos!
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What to look for in an Expat Tax Preparer?
Tax season is just around the corner! You are pumped! And, like many American expats,
you probably have your taxes prepared by a professional, or have at least considered
having them prepared by a professional. When looking for someone to prepare your
taxes, remember that not all tax preparers are created equal. Here is my list of 10 things
you should consider when hiring an expat tax preparer:
1. Are they specialized? Like any other professional service, tax is specialized.
Expat tax preparation is not straightforward--you need a specialist. Look for tax
preparers that prepare only expat returns.
2. What is their experience and qualifications? Do they have any type of license?
How long have they been preparing expat tax returns? Have they prepared returns
similar to yours? You don’t want a tax preparer learning on the job on your return.
3. What is their review procedure? You’d be surprised how many tax preparation
firms don’t review thoroughly, or at all. We are all human and make mistakes. It
would be a shame to have you return audited because your preparer accidently entered a number wrong;
something that likely would have been caught in review.
4. Do they have a PTIN? PTIN stands for Preparer Tax Identification Number. Anyone preparing or assisting
with the preparation of a tax return for compensation is required by law to have one. No PTIN? Don’t hire
them.
5. Are they familiar with how the U.S. tax system interacts with the tax system of your country of
residence? It will reduce the risk of mistakes, and save time and money, if the preparer already knows the
intricacies how the U.S. tax system interacts with the tax system of your country of residence; including
applicable tax treaties and totalization agreements.
6. Do they speak the local language? It will make life easier if the preparer speaks the local language. This
way they won’t need help translating your bank or income statements, local tax returns, and the like.
7. Does the firm use in-house employees or contractors? You want a firm that only uses full-time in-house
employees as they will likely have been fully vetted and trained by the firm, be available throughout the year,
and be available to prepare your return the following year. Many firms use contractors and seasonal
employees during tax season, which leads to compromised quality.
8. What do they charge? Some preparers charge a flat fee, some charge hourly, or a combination. Make sure
there is transparency when it comes to fees. Remember, you get what you pay for. The better the firm and the
more qualified the preparer, the more you will pay. You likely won’t get a quality return for a few hundred
bucks.
9. What security measures do they take? Security is crucial. Make sure the preparer uses appropriate
security measures; i.e. secure client portal, encrypted email, password protection.
10. How long have they been in business? You don’t generally want to hire a brand new firm as they likely
don’t have their business systems and process all worked out yet.
I hope you find this information helpful when evaluating expat tax preparers! Good luck!
Jimmy Sexton, LL.M., is an expert in the field of international taxation, with an
emphasis on expat issues. He has presented to American expats at groups
that include American women’s clubs throughout Europe and is a soughtafter
expert for several news organizations, including CNN and the
Washington Post. He is the President of Esquire Group, an international tax
preparation firm and Premier Sponsor of Inspiring Women Magazine.
16

Germany: In the Piano Zone
ROBIN MELOY GOLDSBY
American International Women’s Club of
Cologne
From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania & New York City
Lives: Outside Cologne, Germany
I grew up in Pittsburgh. My father, Bob
Rawsthorne, a jazz drummer, was the featured
percussionist on the Mister Rogers Neighborhood
program. Most kids in our community played hide
and seek, my sister and I played “sound-check.”
Photographer: Julia Goldsby
My first job as a pianist was at the age of
eighteen, working in a bar on Nantucket called
The Club Car. A lecherous nightclub manager
hired me to play five nights a week for fifty bucks
a night. I only knew ten songs, and nine of them
were Bach. I dragged music books with me to the
gig. I was clueless, but determined to do a good
job. I played for drunken yachtsmen. One night a
week was gay night. It was 1976, so we brayed
patriotic songs and had a Kate Smith singalong
contest. God Bless America.
In 1980 I moved to New York City and began playing in swanky hotels. My first job in NYC was
playing at Donald Trump’s Grand Hyatt at Grand Central Station. I survived. My skirts were short,
my heels were high, my hair was big. I spent fifteen years honing my craft in Manhattan—and
eventually discovered my pianistic voice. I play gentle music and try to do so with some degree
of elegance.
After dating most of the eligible rhythm section players in New York (there weren’t that many), I
fell in love with bassist John
Goldsby. We married and had a
baby. John was scouted by the
Grammy-winning WDR Big Band
(Cologne) and we decided to
give Europe a chance. After
moving to Germany in 1994, we
had a second child. I stayed
home with the kids for five years,
but kept busy composing and
recording. I landed a cushy job
playing at Schlosshotel Lerbach
(a country castle) in 2000 and
spent the next fourteen years
performing there, every weekend.
I also produced a concert series
and an annual children’s musical.
After the castle closed in 2014, Photographer: Julia Goldsby
17

I moved to the Excelsior
Hotel Ernst, a five-star
hotel in the heart of
downtown Cologne.
The plan from now on is
to continue doing what
I’m doing—composing
and performing
peaceful music. I’m
also writing a new
book, and starting work
on a podcast that will
launch in 2019.
My first influences were
from my jazz musician
father—Oscar Peterson,
Photographer: Julia Goldsby
Bill Evans, André Previn.
I think on some level I
didn’t want to compete with my dad. Or maybe I was disheartened by the lack of female
instrumentalists in the jazz world—“you can’t be what you can’t see”—so I began finding my
own style, listening to pop music. I loved Carole King because she played the piano and wrote
her own music. I also had strong classical influences, mostly Debussy and Ravel. The world of
instrumental music was very male back then; there were a lot of female singers hanging around,
but I wanted to be a player.
A life in the arts means there are surprises every day. I suppose I am delighted, but not surprised,
by the way music has gotten me to some of world’s most fascinating places. I’m still shocked
that there aren’t more female composers. When I attend the GEMA conference for top
composers every year, I am always surprised by how few women are in attendance—I believe
in Germany the number hovers somewhere around seven percent. That’s crazy.
I think that the world needs live
music! My piano style seems
simple. Fragile, even. But
effortlessness comes at a price.
Unlike many of today’s “internet
musicians,” I’ve spent decades
playing music for a real audience
with real feelings and real-time
responses. Because I am
constantly connecting to listeners,
face to face and heart to heart, I
know a thing or two about how to
create atmosphere. My
recordings are a result of this
expertise. Now, more than ever,
we’re needed. Recorded music
plays an important role in all of our
lives, but live music offers
something more. Because it relies
on the synergy of audience and
musician, it results in compassion
on both sides.
18

I compose music and I also improvise. When I compose, I always start with a topic, or theme,
and let the music tell me how I feel. I edit constantly until I am satisfied. Composing a piece of
music is very much like writing an essay. Improvising is the musical equivalent of journaling—I start
with a theme and see where it takes me. Yes, it’s a kind of therapy.
I currently compose music and write stories about life as an expat American in Europe. As an
active member of FAWCO, I strive to unite women of all backgrounds with beautiful music and
meaningful words about our shared humanity. My new concert program, Home and Away,
raises awareness and money for the FAWCO Target Program for Education.
As a cultural liaison for FAWCO for the past eight years, my concerts have raised awareness and
over $40,000 for projects targeting Human Rights (Free the Girls/ providing economic
opportunities for survivors of sex-trafficking); Environment (Tabitha Wells for Clean Water,
Cambodia), and, currently, Education (Hope Beyond Displacement/CRP Jordan). My music and
stories motivate other expatriate American women to recognize their strengths while partnering
with their international
communities to lift up
those in need.
I value family. I am the
sixty-year old mother of
two socially-aware young
-adult Americans (Curtis
and Julia), both raised in
Germany, and the wife of
American jazz bassist
John Goldsby. I stand
committed to helping my
sisters around the world. I
believe in the power of
music, love and respect,
and the importance of
education for all of our
girls. I trust that our shared
strength and instinctive
kindness—along with our
willingness to speak up, to listen, and to stay committed to the good fight—will help us overcome
the waves of anger sweeping our global community. My musical and literary program shines
light into dark corners and encourages hope. Am I proud of that? Yes.
When I perform I call it the Piano Zone. I try to stay in the moment, reach into my quiver of songs,
and pull back gently on my repertoire bow. Time is on my side; equilibrium always returns to the
space my music occupies. That’s the best, most miraculous part of playing live—witnessing the
effect music has on my audience, and in turn, what they give back to me. When I’m in the
piano zone, each song, like a vote for kindness or a prayer for peace, carries a fleeting missive of
love to the neighborhood. When we connect with each other, we
are all capable of simple acts of grace. This is my idea of revenge
in a big, violent world. Music. It’s the least, and the most, I can do.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Ravel‘s “Piano Sonatine.”
Debussy‘s “La fille aux cheveux de lin.”
Anything by Ludovico Einaudi.
Bach’s “Goldberg Variations,” as performed by Glenn Gould.
A recording of my daughter, improvising on the piano when
she doesn’t know I am listening.
19

GETTING TO KNOW ROBIN
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. My music is
everywhere—it has been streamed more than
85 million times on Pandora, and is equally
popular on Spotify and Apple Music. My
biggest audience demographic is young
women between the ages of 18 -24. They listen
to my music while studying.
If you could perform with one musician, who
would it be and why? Prince, because he was
the coolest, most talented musician to ever
walk the face of the earth.
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… I played at
Buckingham Palace. I performed my Home
and Away program there in November 2017
for Prince Charles and 250 of his guests,
celebrating the 20 th Anniversary of In Kind
Direct, an organization that encourages
corporate giving for social good. I got to meet
HRH personally and speak with him. It was
every bit as fabulous as you might imagine.
You can read the full story about the palace
gig here.
I also performed for Chancellor Angela Merkel
in Berlin, but Buckingham was more fun.
Oh yeah, I played a concert for naked people
at the Mediterana Spa here in Germany. Due
to the man-spread of the guy directly in front
of the piano, I kept my eyes on the keys. My
husband tried to get me to play the “Hokey
Pokey,” but I showed restraint.
If we looked in your purse/wallet/pocket what
three things would we find that would tell us
something about you? My Bose noise
cancelling headphones. I use them to cancel
noise as much as I use them for music. Also my
Kindle as I am constantly reading. Writers need
to read, and I do. Then about one billion
photos of my kids, stored on my phone.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would love to get better at saying
“no” to projects that don’t bring me joy. I
would like to sleep more, drink less, and stop
worrying about sagging skin. I would like to
completely eliminate “imposter syndrome”
from my life.
Photo by Paul Burns, Royal Photographer
20

A Club Inspires: AWC Gothenburg
There are FAWCO clubs of all sizes and shapes across the world. A Club Inspires is a feature
where you will learn more about one of them. This time we are pleased to introduce to you the
American Women’s Club of Gothenburg, Sweden, from Region 2. Over to their president, Dorothy
Andersson...
The idea to start a club for American women in Gothenburg
was first proposed to the American consul by Karin Lundgren,
Consular Secretary, during the early years of the Second World
War. Although it didn’t happen immediately, in 1947, Vice
Consul Lamar Mulliner became interested and when his sister,
Florence, arrived in February 1948, a group of American women
were invited to the Mulliner home to discuss the possibility of
starting a club. Thus, the American Women’s Club of
Gothenburg was born.
The first meeting was held at Margaretabergskolan on April 1, in
1948, and there were 18 members attending. Through the years
membership has fluctuated, and the club has survived mainly
due to the American women living here because they are
married to Swedish men.
In 1987, we joined FAWCO, enabling us to have a more active
say on policies and legislation affecting us as Americans abroad. For many years, we have
awarded The Florence Albrechtsson American English Dictionary Award to Swedish students, as
well as hosting a student picnic for American Exchange students in Gothenburg.
For the past 10 years, our club has had our monthly meeting at the Emigranternas Hus (Emigrant
House). The Emigrant House focuses mainly on the topic of migration and is a center for research
and meetings between people. Its aim is to increase knowledge about migration, understanding
and tolerance between different groups and nations.
21

22
The center is located in the Customs House
near to the harbor. This was where all the
emigrants left from during the great
emigration period between 1850 and 1930.
Every emigrant had to first pass the Customs
House to show their emigrant contract. There
were more than 1 million emigrants that
passed and got their emigrant contracts
issued before they could begin their journey
towards the new country.
The monthly meeting has a theme, and
recently, for example, we have had a guest
speakers who spoke about topics such as
getting a Swedish driver’s license and tax
advice; other times, we have had members do presentations on their hobbies and careers.
Membership in our club is open to American women and women who have strong contacts
with the United States. Our members are mainly Americans; however, we do have several
Swedes who have lived in the United States for a long period of time. We like to think we bring
together American women living in Gothenburg area to gain companionship, stimulate
cultural identity and offer assistance adjusting to living in Sweden.
There are annual elections for our 11 club positions each March. Unfortunately, we have not
had many volunteers who want to be part of the board in recent years - probably because we
are such a small club and many members have already been on the board - so currently some
positions are empty or members are doing more than one position.
AWC Gothenburg annual events:
Valentine’s Day – to mark the occasion, we host an event where we have a craft or make
something: for example, this past February we made chocolate truffles.
Fourth of July picnic – traditionally we get together around the 4 th of July to celebrate. In the
past, we celebrated along with the baseball team called The Gothenburg Sharks. We played
softball with them, and children tried out bee-ball (comparable to T-ball). This past year we had
a day at the beach with children’s crafts and swimming.
Halloween children’s party – this is an annual event and it is our most popular. We host activities
for the children as well as a trick-or-treat walk. This is open to non-members to help promote
membership. This past month, we also had pumpkin carving to tie in with Halloween.
Thanksgiving potluck – this year we are planning to have a family Thanksgiving potluck dinner,
and our members can bring their
spouses and family members.
December Lucia meeting – an annual
meeting that celebrates the Swedish
tradition of St. Lucia and the holiday.
Other club events:
Movie night –we rented a movie
theater salon for members and their
guests with popcorn and soda. This
was a very popular event and we
hope to do it again.
Our 70 th Anniversary – this year our
club turned 70 years old! We
celebrated with a luncheon at a
restaurant by the sea. Members were
invited to tell their favorite memories

of the club. A lot of comments were about the
friendships that have been made due to the
club and the laughter. It was a beautiful day
where we enjoyed each other’s stories and
memories in addition celebrating the history of
the club.
Gothenburg Film Festival - AWC Oslo comes to
visit us for this, and it’s a great opportunity for
the two clubs to get together to talk about the
film festival and have dinner.
US Embassy – we are proud of the fact that it
was AWC Gothenburg that got the US Embassy
to make biannual visits to the city, making it
easier for our members and others to renew
passports and report births. We host a welcome
table and often have also had activities for children with crafts as well with learning about the
United States.
Charitable activities – last year, we raised money for the organization Operation Smile. We had
a raffle where we had themed gift bags. For example, since we had had the movie night event,
we had a movie bag that included movie gift tickets, soda and popcorn. The raffle took place
during our Lucia meeting, which is right before Christmas. We also support the Haiti Relief Fund
and had a food drive for a local organization that needed support.
Gothenburg is on the west coast of Sweden and is the second largest city in the country. There
are 20 museums, 12 tram lines, two universities, six restaurants boasting one star in the Guide
Michelin, and lately, the local beer scene has been growing; it’s now one of the hottest hubs for
craft beer. Also in the city is the largest amusement park in Scandinavia. In 2017, the city was
designated the World’s Most Sustainable Destination. So as you can tell that the city itself has
plenty to offer – and that’s before we even talk about the rocky shoreline and beautiful green
forests within minutes of the center.
Sweden itself is a beautiful place, and it is what I imagined when I moved here. There is so much
to see and even though I have already seen it, it is a delight to experience it again because
Sweden feels genuine. I especially love the islands outside Gothenburg and the islands north of
Gothenburg. I love spending summer days island-hopping, traveling with the ferry to the islands.
There are so many islands to discover. The sun sets after 10 pm, which makes the day so much
longer to explore places.
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Another favorite of mine is the Göteborg Film
Festival. It is the largest film festival in the
Nordic countries, with about 450 films from 80
countries. Visitors also come from many
different countries to see the films. (The
American Women’s Club loves that AWC
Oslo comes to visit during the film festival. We
love to see them when they come, and we
usually meet for a dinner).
The stereotypical Swede is a serious person,
but in Gothenburg, people have a way of
joking which is in the form of puns and with
irony. Why don’t you come and experience
for yourself? We’d love to welcome you to
our city!
Dorothy Andersson,
President, AWC Gothenburg

USA: 40 Years At The Opera
24
I grew up in Chicago, the eldest of 4 children and
the only girl. My dad was an attorney and my
mother a visual artist, pianist and organist. I started
music, dance and theatre lessons at 7; harp lessons
at 13; and my formal voice training started at 16.
I was a double major in harp and voice in college,
first at Northwestern University and later the University
of Illinois. I sang in a few summer opera programs
during college and then auditioned for baritone Tito
Gobbi and vocal coach Luigi Ricci, both of Rome, at
the Lyric Opera in Chicago. They encouraged me to
move to Italy at the beginning of 1974 to study with
them, before I had completed my degree. (I did
eventually graduate!) Two years later, Maestro
Gobbi and his wife, Tilde, arranged for the director of
Opera Forum in Enschede, NL to hear me sing and I was hired for my first engagement in 1976.
They also introduced me to the opera company’s first conductor, Arthur Fagen, who conducted
my professional debut, as Zerlina in Don Giovanni, and whom I married in 1978. We had 2
daughters (Alicia, born in NL and Rebecca, in BE) while I continued to sing operas and concerts
in the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and Israel. When we lived in Belgium in 1984, I joined
the American Women’s Club in Antwerp, while I was singing at the Opera Voor Flanderen. My
operatic career was full-time for 13 years,
mostly abroad.
When we moved back to the States in
1986, I still continued to sing, but found
the traveling, with our children in school,
quite difficult while my husband was
traveling for work as well. I wound down
singing full-time, but was still ambitious for
a career and went to law school from
1990-93. I practiced law briefly and then
had our 3 rd daughter (Gabriela, in NY –
we missed having the BeNeLux kids by
one). When I returned to work a few
years later, it was as a law school
administrator. Throughout all of this time, I
continued to sing benefit concerts and
some symphony concerts in and around
NY. Then in 2002, we returned to
Germany. My husband was appointed
General Music Director in Dortmund and
PAULETTE BERMAN FAGEN
FAUSA Member (formerly of American Women’s
Club of Düsseldorf)
From: Chicago, IL
Lives: Bloomington, IN and Atlanta, GA

we settled 70 km away, in Düsseldorf, to be near an
International School and the American Women’s
Club (AWCD). I continued to sing benefit concerts,
holiday concerts with the Dortmund Orchestra,
events for the AWCD, as well as for the Gala
evening of the 2006 Biennial FAWCO Conference
which took place in Berlin.
When we repatriated a second time, in 2007, I
joined FAUSA right away and was grateful to be
one of FAWCO’s representatives to the UN
Economic and Social Council in NY. But we moved
to Bloomington, Indiana shortly afterwards for my
husband to join the faculty of IU’s music school,
where he is chair of orchestral conducting. My last
professional engagement was as the Soprano
soloist in Mahler’s Second Symphony with the New
Mexico Philharmonic in Albuquerque, shortly after
my 60 th birthday, 6 years ago. Since that time,
because of our involvement in the IU music school,
summer opera programs abroad, as well as the
Atlanta opera, where my husband is music director,
I come into contact with, coach and advise many
young singers, though I don’t maintain a voice
studio. In addition, our youngest daughter,
Gabriela, is a grad student at IU in vocal
performance. (She was the winner of FAWCO’s 2015 Viola Wheeler Arts Education award.)
Today I continue working with voice students. I certainly love giving moral support and advice to
many of the talented young singers we meet. I’m fortunate that through my husband’s work and
my daughter’s operatic aspirations, I continue to keep all that I have learned in opera relevant
to my current life, though it is no longer my career. And once in a while I dust off the vocal cords
to sing for charity or fun.
The first music I listened to and imitated, as a teenager, was that of Maria Callas. I later studied
with her frequent collaborator Tito Gobbi. He was a master interpreter, as was Callas. Every
nuanced bit of drama was in their vocal interpretations. Over the years, we have developed
friendships with many of the international opera stars, instrumentalists, stage directors and
conductors whom we once looked up to. It has been a very rewarding and continually
interesting life path.
I find the amount of information and recorded performances available through the internet
amazingly wonderful and, at the same time, intimidating. Students have such a wealth of
potential training to refer to, right in their computers or phones. Yet, it is almost too much, as it
needs to be curated to be effective. Young musicians are pulled in many directions. They also
have to be social media savvy and entrepreneurial. When I studied in Rome, I focused on my
technique and learning one role at a time. Building up a repertoire, incrementally, that served
me throughout my career. I did not have to show the world what I could do, until I was ready.
Today, I think there is over-exposure and constant competition for young singers. That can be
difficult, as voices need to be gently cultivated and allowed time to grow. The voices that are
the flashiest at a young age are not necessarily those that develop into “recording quality”
beautiful voices or those that fill a theatre with luscious sound, and if not careful, they often burn
out early. The fact that I can still sing healthfully into my 60s is owed to the nurturing I had as a
student – and that I didn’t overuse my voice in the past 40 years.
25

Music is an artistic expression of
communication and emotion. If you have
nothing to communicate, if you are not
tapped into the essence of your being and
expression, the audience will not be
moved, no matter how technically
excellent you may be. But if the essence is
there, it can be magical. And that can be
so, even when the execution is not
technically “perfect.” Being in touch with
that essence is the most profoundly moving
experience as a performer. I truly love the
process of learning and performing from
beginning to end – and not for the
audience reaction, though that is an
added bonus.
I am not a passive listener. I once took a
sculpture class and the teacher played
opera recordings as background music. I
could not become one with my sculpting,
because opera is never background music
for me. I am actively listening to and
assessing every note, word, quality of sound
and tempo. That can be interesting and
satisfying as an audience member, but too
distracting in other settings.
I sang 36 different leading roles during the
active years of my career, from Maria in
West Side Story, in a year-long run at Berlin’s Theater des Westens, to over 60 performances of the
Queen of the Night in Mozart’s Magic Flute. But, I am most proud of my collaboration with
composer Lorenzo Ferrero. I performed the world premiere of his song cycle Canzoni d’Amore,
written for my voice (I am a Coloratura Soprano,) at the Biennale of Venice and sang the title
role in the German premiere of his opera Marilyn, as part of the dokumenta VII modern art
festival in Kassel, Germany.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
To Listen to:
“Rhapsody in Blue” by George Gershwin: I have listened to and loved this piece since my
childhood.
Brahms’ “Haydn Variations” conducted by Pablo Casals – my husband introduced me to
this recording early in our relationship, I continue to love it.
Scarpia’s 1 st act closing in Tosca, sung by Tito Gobbi. It was the first thing I heard Maestro
Gobbi sing on recording and live, at the first opera performance I ever attended at 16 years
old. It’s fabulous!
“Because I Knew You” from Wicked, sung by Kristen
Chenoweth and Idina Menzel; it is so meaningful and
touching.
To Perform:
I would love to sing Violetta in La Traviata, if I were still at my
peak. I have performed the aria “Sempre Libera” and the
duet with Germont many times with orchestra, but never
the entire role.
26

GETTING TO KNOW PAULETTE
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. I was a serious ice
skater from 8 to 13 years old. I spent every
afternoon and evening at an indoor ice rink,
through dinner and homework, until 10 pm
(probably a form of childcare, in my parents’
eyes.) I not only prepared for competitions, but
regularly performed skating solos and sang for
birthday parties at the rink. However, because
I started getting frequent sore throats and
loved to sing more than skate, I stopped
skating. Still, I think that the discipline I learned
skating and being exposed to the dedication
of my very accomplished peers was formative
in my approach to singing.
If you could perform with, or meet, one
musician, who would it be? I would have loved
to work with Mozart. I have sung many Mozart
operas – all masterpieces. I would have loved
to coach those roles with the master.
The most unusual place I have listened to
music was… in a large empty space in Paris,
Atelier des Lumières, with projections of
Hundertwasser and Klimt artwork on the
concrete walls. It was not live music nor the
actual artwork, but once I got over the virtual
nature of the performance, it was amazingly
moving to be enveloped in the multi-sensory
artistic experience.
If we looked in your purse what three things
would we find that would tell us something
about you? A handcrafted silver thimble in a
small velvet pouch. – I am a quilter.
A small pad of paper for notes. – I am a writer.
Crayons – I am a grandmother.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I often have a hard time saying thank
you to a compliment. In singing, I was often
fixated on what I needed to improve and
imperfections in a performance. While it is
important to be aware of those things to better
your performances, it is insulting to the person
giving a compliment to have their words
negated and it also diminishes the
performance. This carries over in other aspects
of life, such as quilting and writing. I am
continually working on this. Just say thank you!
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Norway: A Note from Oslo via Hawaii
KATELYN SWEENEY CHING
American Women’s Club of Oslo, Norway
From: Kaneohe, Hawaii
Lives: Oslo, Norway
Music has always been an inseparable part of my
identity. When I was in elementary school I would
spend all of my time creating stories and
recording them on toy cassette players. It wasn’t a
surprise to me when, aged fourteen, I started
writing songs on the piano because it felt like
inspiration was flowing into the keys in the same
way they did on a typewriter. By the time I was in
high school, I was interning at a recording studio
and performing around Honolulu. I was interested
in many other subjects in addition to music, so
when it came time to look for colleges, I chose to
pursue a liberal arts degree.
College woke me up to the monumental depth of history and tradition in music. Prior to
university, I had only heard about major male composers and had no idea that living
composers, especially female composers, existed. I believed that composers simply woke up
with ideas in their head and poured them on to paper with flowing quills; in reality, the creative
process is often a combination of logic, structure, and inspiration. I began to understand why
there were so few female composers throughout the history of Western music after experiencing
how much training goes into becoming one.
Majoring in music was one of the toughest paths I ever took but I am grateful for it. In high
school, I was able to breeze through music courses and never had to study or practice very
much. College was a
different story. I struggled
to understand music
theory and nearly
dropped out of being a
music major after I failed
my first exam. The
textbook was a maze of
symbols that felt like it was
written in code I couldn’t
decipher. Thankfully, my
professors encouraged
me to continue and
helped me get the extra
academic support I
needed. Once I caught
up on the fundamentals,
music theory became an
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instrumental part of my
understanding of how music works,
and is written. Studying music gave
me the tools and context I craved
to expand my compositional
toolbox. I also started my own
piano school and worked as an
accompanist for schools in and
around Honolulu.
After I finished my master’s degree
in composition, I went to Los
Angeles to work as an intern at a
major film music studio. While I
continued to pursue a permanent
role in a studio, I worked as an
executive assistant to be able to stay in LA.
A year later, a shot of magic burst out of nowhere. The biology professor from graduate school
was publishing her memoir and it was on the road to becoming an international bestseller. She
asked me to compose a piece for the accompanying audiobook. While I was working on the
piece, her best friend happened to be in town for a family event; he ended up coming to the
recording sessions. We fell in love even though his job would be relocating to Norway. This meant
we had to decide where we would live.
Two years ago we decided to move to Oslo. So here I am now, carving out a quiet existence. It
has taken time to find out how to get immersed in the music scene here, but there have been
small successes. Most recently, one of my songs was selected as a winner in a contest for
Scandic Hotels.
I miss the music community I had in Honolulu and Los Angeles, but am trying to develop
relationships here while also balancing intensive language courses and a full-time job in a
startup. Growing up, I was told relentlessly that music is a tough industry to be in, and yet, I
persevered. However, after a decade of not having health insurance, a dependable stream of
income, retirement, and working night hours, I decided to find steady income outside the
industry so that I can write on my own terms. Regardless, creating music will remain an integral
part of my being, whether or not anyone out there is listening. I find that a room filled with
candlelight while the darkness and cold rages outside sparks my creativity.
I’m currently working on an
album that is inspired by the
history of 19 th century migrant
workers in Hawai’i. I’m
fascinated by the impact the
sugar industry had on the
contemporary political and
cultural makeup of the islands
and am exploring these
themes in my writing. My
great-great grandparents
came from Canton, China to
work as sugarcane plantation
workers, so the project has a
personal connection for me.
29

Pieces of music I recommend/love
Scarlet’s Walk, Tori Amos.
Symphony no. 9 in E minor, Dvořák.
Ola Gjeilo, Ola Gjeilo.
String Quartet in F major, Maurice Ravel.
Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi– The Four Seasons;
Max Richter.
CLICK HERE TO
HEAR KATELYN
GETTING TO KNOW KATELYN
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. I am fairly sure I never
tried a hamburger until I was over 25.
If we looked in your purse/wallet/pocket, what
three things would we find that would tell us
something about you? 3 different highlighters
in peach shades (easier on the eyes and yet
also helps important materials stand out),
about 4 lip balms (always chapped lips up
here) and my textbooks for Norwegian class
(this has been my life for two years!)
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would like to continue to get better at
composing and teaching. There is endless
need for improvement.
Happy Holidays! Happy Pajama Days!
30
Nothing says “you’re my favorite” more than the
gift of pajamas. The Pajama Company has
something for everyone on your gift list-including
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nightshirts, PJ bottoms, matching sets for the whole
family and more! There is no time to waste!
Whether it’s something for a serious sleeper or for
your cuddle buddy, pajamas are a “warm hug” to
family and friends.
Ellie Badanes, FAUSA Member and The Pajama
Company Founder

If I were a musical instrument I would be...
..a piano. I
used to love
improvising on
the piano
when I was
young, in spite
of the fact
that when I was a child, my teacher in
Vienna – a petite but energetic elderly
lady - would actually take a ruler and
beat my fingers whenever I got a tone
wrong!
CHRSTINE FEDERSPIEL
..a cello for sure! A cello is
beautiful and curvy and
makes the most divine
dark and powerful sounds.
Girl power at its best!
ROBIN SMIRNOV
..a French horn. The
sounds are so rich, and
they come from more
than ten feet of pipe.
RICK CHIZMADIA
..a saxophone because the sound gets people’s
attention. It is so beautiful and it can go from low to
high. You can swing
me low and then up
high. I am a beautiful
instrument and my
sound is unique. I can
make any band
sound outstanding.
BEVERLY MINOR
...a drum kit. If I was his drum kit, I could
shout when he misses a beat: my
husband has had the desire to learn for
many years, but he has not discovered
how he needs to walk before he can
run.
MARGARET HILDITCH
...played by the right musician, a cello. The
sound is so rich and sonorous. The cello can
sing, support, be delicate and resonate
through the theatre. Beautiful cello playing
can move me to tears.
PAULETTE FAGEN
...a piano, of course. An orchestra in its own
right, the piano is the most female of all
instruments – a multi-tasker capable of a wide
range of emotions
and fascinating
stories.
ROBIN MELOY
GOLDSBY
31

Austria: Singing for the Lord
I grew up in Woodville, Mississippi, on a farm, one of
eleven children. My family had horses, cows, hogs, goats,
dogs and cats. I had a pet pig called Tiny. My father had
a large garden and he raised potatoes, corn and sugar
cane. He also worked in a factory. My church did not
have a piano so the old people used to pat their feet
and clap their hands. We did not have a choir and kids
in the church were never given the opportunity to sing. I
joined the high school marching band where I played
the saxophone.
Growing up I loved to listen to music, but never
envisioned myself as a singer because I was very shy and
did not believe I was musically inclined. My family did not
have a TV so I often listened to Motown music on the
radio; my favorite singers were Aretha Franklin, Natalie
Cole and the Staple Singers. I still listen to the same people today with the addition of the
Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir.
I left home at 18 to attend Alcorn State University where I studied office administration. I also
joined the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority. One of the girls said that I sang as though I had a frog in my
throat and she hated it when I even sang background. Not an easy thing to hear!
After graduating from the University, I moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to live with my brothers.
Two of them sang in a gospel singing group along with a cousin and asked me to join them. I
loved gospel music but
didn't think I was gifted
enough to sing.
Eventually, I joined
them and my voice
begin to develop. After
my early experience it
surprised me when
people said they liked
my singing. I eventually
joined a church in New
Orleans and began to
sing solos.
While living in New
Orleans, I started to
participate with church
groups traveling
BEVERLY MINOR
American Women’s Association of Vienna, Austria
From: Mississippi, USA
Lives: Vienna, Austria
32

abroad on short-term mission
journeys. My first trip was to
Ryazan, Russia, where I
evangelized, sang solos and
accompanied a praise and
worship team. Some years later, I
relocated to Georgia and
attended First Baptist Church of
Atlanta. I joined the choir and
sometimes sang on In Touch
Ministries, which was broadcast
nationally and internationally. I
became quite popular and
began to sing at weddings,
funerals and Christmas parties,
etc. During this period, I
continued to travel abroad
singing with a group.
After taking an early retirement from Delta Air Lines, I went on to work as a banker for Wells
Fargo and Fidelity National Bank. Then in 2013, a Polish choir (Gospel Joy), asked me to join
them in Poland for a year as one of their lead singers. I had often considered moving to Europe
but did not know how it could happen. I was able to get monetary support from my church,
family and friends and so by the end of that year, I felt secure enough to resign from my place
of employment, put my furniture in storage, rent my house and say goodbye to my family. In
January 2014, I was off to Poznan, Poland.
When the year ended, I moved to Vienna, Austria and now I work as a Ministry Assistant at the
Christian International Church, which is located in the 10 th District. I am a song leader in my
church and I also formed a small group which is called Soundz of Joy.
When I got to Vienna I had googled “choirs in Vienna” and lo and behold, there was the
Longfield Gospel Choir. So, I joined two of the Longfield choirs and have traveled with them
singing in Denmark, Germany and all over Austria. It is always special to me when the AWA
Vienna ladies attend our concerts, especially when we sang at St. Stephen's Cathedral. The
Longfield Choirs (a total of four choirs under the same director) just completed a CD and I am
a song leader on three of the songs.
33
I enjoy living in Vienna and
think that singing is the best job
in the world. Singing gospel
songs is right in my element
and I hope, in the future, to get
trained so I could add some
Christian jazz to my genre. My
dream would be to travel
round the world singing with a
small band. Over the years I
have had the opportunity to
travel around the world and
sing: from the streets of Hong
Kong to Argentina and Chile,
to Costa Rica and many
places in the USA, to Canada
to Egypt and many countries
around Europe.

It feels good when someone in one of
these countries remembers me and
some still extend an invitation to come
back to see them.
I would also like to learn to play my
saxophone better and include it when I
sing. When I sing, I put my whole being
into what I am singing because I want
the audience to believe and feel the
message in the music.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
The Easter version of Leonard
Cohen's song “Hallelujah.” It is a
classic, many people love this song
and they sing it all over the world.
The same for “O Happy Day” and “Amazing Grace.”
I recently recorded “Sometimes I Feel Live A Motherless
Child” and I would love to share it with the world.
The song “He's An On Time God” brings out the tiger in me
and I love it when the audience goes wild when I sing it. I
love a lot of the old classics.
GETTING TO KNOW BEVERLY
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. When I am done
singing, I just want to run off the stage and
hide. I actually sometimes get a bit shy when
people applaud.
If you could perform with, or meet, one
musician, who would it be? I would have loved
to meet Whitney Houston. She was a great
34
singer and it would have been an honor to sing
with her. Mariah Carey is also one of my all time
favorite singers. I would love to sing a duet with
her but I would have to sing lower notes. Her
voice is outstanding.
The most unusual place I have listened to music
was… I traveled to Santiago, Chile, on a
medical mission trip and a popular singer was
doing a concert at the tennis stadium. I knew
one of the sponsors. When
I arrived at the stadium, I
was asked to also sing
before over 5000 people
and it was impromptu. I did
quite well.
What are some of the
things you would love to
get better at and things
you would like to stop
doing? I would love to get
better at doing runs and
remembering song lyrics. I
would love to stop getting
nervous when performing
a new song because I
sometimes think that I will
forget the lyrics.

Switzerland: A Life Of Jazz
I grew up in a family of five children. My parents
were hotel owners in Bern, Switzerland and Greece.
At our villa, they regularly hosted guests from all
over the world, which encouraged us children to
use many different languages from as early as five
years old. Besides going to school, I learned to play
classical piano.
But then I discovered Bill Haley's “Rock Around The
Clock,” which my parents brought back for us from
a trip to the USA in 1956. In the mid-sixties I heard
Erroll Garner perform live for the first time. From
then, this was "my music." Erroll had such a distinct
way of playing, after the first few notes one
recognized him instantly.
After graduating with a degree in interior architecture, I started my first job with an architect
who specialized in hotel developments in Copenhagen, Denmark. There, in 1969, I heard Miles
Davis life at Tivoli Concert Hall. Then, in the early seventies I lived for four years in Singapore,
where I founded my first own company. Then I
moved to Hong Kong, where my new design
company developed hotel projects all over the
world for the next 25 years. Over these years, my
interest in classical music diminished and was
replaced by the love of jazz. The more I listened
to the various styles in jazz and was surrounded
by top jazz musicians talking about their music,
the more profound comprehension I acquired of
the genre itself. I consider myself extremely lucky
to have received such privileges almost my
entire life.
In 1990, I returned to my hometown of Bern, and
my husband and I bought the 8000 m² property,
Innere Enge, Bern which today has become the
Unique Jazz Hotel. It has a total of 26
guestrooms, as well as the Brasserie Josephine,
the world- renowned Marians Jazzroom, the
Parc Café and a minigolf course.
For many years, my husband has invited
international jazz legends such as Oscar
Peterson, Lionel Hampton, Ahmad Jamal, Clark
MARIANNE GAUER ZURBRÜGG
American Women’s Club of Bern, Switzerland
From: Bern, Switzerland
Lives: Bern, Switzerland
35

Terry, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis and many more to perform at his Jazzfestival Bern. We still
continue with our involvement in the world of jazz to this day by hosting over 350 concerts per
year at our Jazzroom, bringing today's most famous jazz musicians to Bern. We are also thrilled
to discover young jazz talents. For example, during our International Jazzfestival Bern (March to
May), we offer a platform for students from the New School and Juilliard in New York - and
more recently, Berklee College of Music - a chance to perform too.
I have been the happiest "hostess" to all the musicians, while my husband, Hans Zurbrügg, who
started the Jazzfestival Bern in the first place 43 years ago – and now his son Benny, who has
been in charge for the last 20 years – have been the main organizers.
Jazz music is fascinating. You can only learn it by listening, not by simply reading notes. It
changes all the time, and there are so many creative ways it is being played. I am continually
fascinated by the constant innovative improvisation of jazz music – an instrumental
conversation on stage between musicians. There is just never a dull moment for the attentive
listener! Those "blue notes" or those "split second delayed notes" which create the most unique
tensions, or the "whisper of a sound" to the most "powerful tone:" all, at times, giving me goose
bumps all over!
GETTING TO KNOW
MARIANNE
Tell us something
interesting about yourself
that not many people
know. I was in China in
1968 during the Cultural
Revolution – four years
before President Richard
Nixon went.
The most unusual place I
have listened to music
was… It was at the 2006
Jazzfestival Bern, the
Blues & Soul summit at
the big hall called the
Kursaal. "King Solomon" Burke (one of the
founding fathers of soul music) asked for a
king's throne on stage. His weight was between
300 and 400 pounds. My husband
commissioned me with this task.
possible. Lights on : "King Solomon" remained
seated in his XXL wheelchair covered by a red
blanket; to his left and right were vases with 100
red roses. The concert started and thankfully
was a huge success !!
After quite some search, I found a very large
throne. It was an antique piece, and I had to
guarantee that I return it all in one piece. It was
transported to the hall with the greatest of care
and placed on stage. Solomon's daughters
insisted it needed to be fastened on the floor so
that their father would not fall over. It wasn't a
simple thing to do without using screws!
Finally we found ways, and everybody was
happy. Evening came, and one minute prior to
Solomon going on stage, he refused to sit on
this throne! We had to dismantle it as quickly as
36
If we looked in your purse, what three things
would we find that would tell us something
about you? My Mini Countryman key, my purse
and a quote from an unknown writer :
* Take your time to be friendly, it is the gate to
happiness.
* Take your time to dream, it is the way to the
stars.
* Take your time to love, it is the real zest for life.
* Take your time to be happy, it is the music of
your soul.

Germany: A Musical Teacher
37
I was born in Ballycastle, Northern Ireland. I was the
only daughter and we lived on a farm. For my parents,
married in 1949, it was a challenge economically as
the UK recovered from rationing and the scars of World
War II. There were few luxuries. The installation of
running water was the first priority followed by
electricity and central heating much later when I was
approaching my teenage years.
Family life was happy and my mother was an
extraordinary cook and hostess. Social interaction was
mostly with our cousins and extended family. My
mother was a competent pianist and singer and well
known as a church organist and choir director. For me
personally, music was an integral part of life. Hearing
my mother sing was particularly emotional for me and some of my earliest memories included
singing in the children’s choir in our local church. Piano lessons featured too. I was more
dedicated to practice than my brothers, who had other distractions on the farm.
I wanted to teach from the day I entered school and sure enough, after secondary education I
enrolled to pursue my dream at Queen’s University, Belfast. In the 60s, music as an academic
subject was in its infancy in secondary education, but credit to my school, the headmaster
found a solution to ensure I could study music as an academic subject. I ended up studying
music and mathematics alongside education at university; playing cello in the college
orchestra; singing solo and choral parts in Gilbert and Sullivan operas; singing second soprano in
the madrigal group, and I had the privilege of conducting this group at the Galway Choral
Festival in my final year.
In addition to the
expansion of knowledge,
we had practical
experience teaching in
schools during each year
of study. My first teaching
post was in a challenging
girls’ school in north
Belfast. I can only
describe it as a real
baptism by fire and a test
of resilience and
perseverance to inspire
teenage girls about
classical music when
MARGARET HILDITCH
Munich International Women’s Club,
Germany
From: Northern Ireland
Lives: Between England and Bavaria

they had more interest in the 70s
pop group “The Bay City Rollers.”
We have recently settled in the
Cotswolds to be close to one
daughter after an itinerant life of
forty years. Initially during my
husband’s military pilot training in
the RAF, we moved around
England, Scotland and Wales.
Then in the 90s we spent time in
Maryland, USA, at the Naval Test
Pilot school, then were posted to
Bavaria for three years. After this
we went to Munich where we
clocked up another eleven years
before a final two years living in
Saudi Arabia.
Right now, my musical skills are percolating in readiness for a new challenge. This will include
the musical development of our four grandchildren. Prior to our first German assignment, I was
a full time Director of Music in a comprehensive school in Wiltshire. In Munich, I conducted the
Youth Choir in the church and introduced the idea of an orchestra that included all levels of
performance. My time in Saudi Arabia was greatly enhanced and inspired through teaching
twenty young musicians on our compound and acting as accompanist to young singers and
adults taking Associated Board examinations. Since our retirement in April 2018, we have
enjoyed connecting with live musical performances in Cheltenham and beyond. I love being
“home” where my grand piano adorns our living room and I can play when time permits. I am
watching and waiting to see how I contribute musically in the future. “Use it or lose it” is my
mantra. My teaching career has been diverse but I am proud of the fact that I have been able
to inspire and encourage many young people to stay committed to the challenge of learning
to play a musical instrument.
38
My first piano teacher was inspirational, and I
excelled under his tutelage. I made my debut
as a performer at Coleraine Music and Drama
Festival. I had no idea what to expect. To my
complete surprise, I won the trophy for the best
performance. A move to a different teacher,
who taught at my high school, proved to be
good logistically but not so academically. I
progressed as a pianist but not as a performer.
During our time in USA, my Canadian friend, a
flautist, encouraged me to have lessons with
Brian Ganz, a professional pianist and tutor at
Maryland University. The nine lessons during that
year were like finding a pot of gold. As an adult,
I proved that I could perform a wide repertoire
of classical music. I use the memories of this
time to inspire my desire to perform and keep
improving my skills.
At university, I discovered that I was a little “fish”
in a great big “musical” pond. Musicians share
such diversity in learning, creativity and
performance. Musicians cannot always

measure their success alongside the musical abilities of their peers. Often musicians are judged
by their ability to perform and little is known about the hard work and creativity that brings their
success to fruition. By the time I worked in my most challenging and ultimately dream job as a
Director of Music in Wiltshire, I realized that the musical success of all my pupils required me to
have a team of instrumental experts to support, advise and inspire all pupils regardless of
academic ability. Consequently, there was never an empty seat at my annual concerts themed
with drama excerpts to showcase the best of my Rock groups, the Windband, the Choir and
instrumental ensembles. This successful formula raised the profile of the school in the local area so
much that parents were choosing our school for their musical child in preference to others. The
highest accolade during my career there was the prize for the best performance of my senior
Windband at the Salisbury Schools’ Music festival.
I am very proud and happy that my musical skills
have been an inspiration to so many. I think of
Jessica, a six-year-old, who was most inspired
when I discovered she loved to sing as she
played; then Ross, a very competent and mature
young man who discovered the need to
practice; Jarvis, who liked to improvise, and the
boys who delighted in performing the Star Wars
theme in our farewell concert and last but not
least Jade, who wrote a poem about the
environment, performing it as a song with guitar
accompaniment. Elle surprised me most of all by
mastering the walking bass of her piece called C
Jam Blues.
Music breaks down barriers where other methods
fail. It can arouse memories, calm the soul and be
the inspiration to others to pursue their dreams. It
is important to hear live performances and
interact with other musicians to realize potential
and improve performance skills. When I hear a
haunting melody or a masterful performance, I
am compelled to listen and appreciate the
moment. I cannot read a book and listen to
music at the some time. Good music engages the brain to appreciate the skill of the composer.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Rachmaninoff’s 2nd Piano Concerto. I love the melodic and harmonic structure of the slow
movement in contrast to the depth and power of the romantic orchestral sound.
“Blue Skies” sung by Kiri Te Kanawa, a truly wonderful vocalist. This song reminds me of the
sunny blue sky days we enjoyed in Maryland, USA, in 1991.
Franz Schubert’s Impromptu in G flat Major. I performed this piece in my teens. It is
technically demanding with rich harmonies and flowing chordal sequences.
“Hotel California” by the Eagles. This group is an inspiration to all guitarists. My youngest
brother found his musical talent playing guitar. This piece is layered with wonderful
harmonic sequences and countermelodies and yet the
clarity and sensitivity in performance is on the same plane as
some classical pieces.
“Silent Night.” To think that this melody was composed in a
little church is magical and inspirational. It is the best loved
Christmas carol in Germany and is sung unaccompanied in a
candlelit atmosphere. A true reminder of precious times with
family and friends especially at Christmas.
39

GETTING TO KNOW MARGARET
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I am married to
an ex-RAF pilot and test pilot and have loved
every flying opportunity during our married
life. I have looped the loop and performed a
barrel roll in a Cap 10 (a small aerobatic
aircraft flown by the trainee test pilots during
their course.) In Wiltshire when my husband
was Officer Commanding the Empire Test Pilot
school at Boscombe Down, I had a wonderful
flight in a Luscombe, watching my husband
and a colleague simulating a “dogfight” in
two SE5, WW1 aircraft. Two years ago, I had a
magical flight in a motor glider in the Bavarian
Alps and this past summer, I experienced my
first paragliding trip in the Austrian Alps.
If you could perform with one musician/group
of musicians who would it/they be? I would
love to be the conductor of a large choral
event with orchestral backing in the Royal
Albert Hall in London. I had the opportunity to
sing there early in my married life and it was
electrifying to be part of a huge choral group
performing Handel’s Messiah. I would love to
conduct a performance with David Garrett,
violinist, who has fused so many genres from
classical to rock appealing to all ages.
The most unusual place I have performed
or listened to music was… in a bar in a
Galway pub. Standing on top of a low
table after a choral competition of all the
university choirs in Ireland, the spirit of
performance was very much alive and
each choir took turns to sing. One
madrigal in our repertoire was known by
everyone, so with drinks in hand we
celebrated the joy of music. Sharing this
unforgettable moment of friendship has
reminded me so often how music
transcends all divides; cultural, racial,
political and religious.
40

Spain: The “Singing Housing Specialist”
GWEN PERRY
Barcelona Women’s Network, Spain
From: North Carolina, USA
Lives: Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Nr
Barcelona, Spain
I grew up in North Carolina, the eldest of five children.
My childhood was happy and music was everywhere:
in the church, at home and on television. I was
addicted to Judy Garland, Fred Astaire, Louis
Armstrong movies and others.
I left home at age 18 to go to college. My family never
encouraged me to sing, so the first thing I did at
college was to form a 4-member girls’ singing group.
We were a hit. In the mid-sixties we opened the shows
of artists like Gladys Knight and the Pips, the
Commodores, Curtis Mayfield and others. We were
known as the Angels.
After college I went to live in Washington, D.C. My
profession had very little to do with my BS in Business Education. I started off as a file clerk in the
Department of HUD, went into their Intern Program and became a Program Analyst,
moonlighting on the side as a jazz singer in and around the Washington Metropolitan area. I was
known as the “singing housing specialist.” When my marriage of 5 years went on the rocks I
decided to take a leave from my GS-12 Program Analyst position to pursue my passion for music.
I left the states because there were more possibilities for me in Europe. I came to Palma de
Mallorca 42 years ago; moved around in the Mediterranean between Spain, central Europe,
Egypt and Italy until, whilst performing on Costa Cruises, I met my Catalan husband. I was
already living in Catalonia and have been married since 2004. My official name is Gwendolyn
Gilmore de Comas.
I will be singing until the day
that I leave this world, or as
long as God gives me voice
and strength. Music for me is
medicine, it’s magic, it’s
happiness and I love sharing
that with anyone who wishes to
listen. I am currently preparing
the recording of my next CD,
which should be released
summer 2019.
In the beginning I was
influenced most of all by Judy
Garland, Ella Fitzgerald and
Frank Sinatra among others.
41

I consider myself a female crooner. Although I sing jazz, swing, blues, rhythm and blues,
standards and ballads, I feel more comfortable with jazz and swing. I would have had a ball
during the big band era.
Music is medicine for me. Music gives me a natural high. I can go to another, higher place when
I am performing. It takes me a few minutes to come down to earth once I am finished. I enjoy
myself and try to get my audience involved on the trip with me. When I listen to music I meditate
and completely relax. I seldom attend public concerts. The buzz of people talking distracts my
attention to what is happening with or through the music.
Today the industry has become so
business-like. Even though I’ll listen to all
styles to understand and appreciate, I
can’t wrap my brain around some of
the modern techniques, like rap and
hip-hop. I guess I am just a romantic.
I am proud of how I have always used
my music in solidarity with groups or
people in need. I love aiding through
my music and using my influence as
someone well-known. In March 2012 I
was given the European Gold
Distinction Award for Achievements as
an International Singer, Humanitarian
and Producer.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
“My Way” because the lyrics tell a story, somewhat like mine.
“Everything Must Change” by Stevie Wonder, because that’s how life is - all things change,
nothing stays the same.
“What A Wonderful World” because this truly is a wonderful world, even with all of its
craziness.
“I Love Being Here With You” because that is what I dedicate to my audiences to let them
know how much they mean to me.
Schubert’s “Ave Maria,” because it is a beautiful melody with profound lyrics that give me
a sense of peace.
42

GETTING TO KNOW GWEN
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. Even though I am
basically reserved, I am an open book. I have
a sense of humor that sometimes sneaks itself
out of me. I love to cook and I have a
collection of more than 200 elephants. I sing in
nine languages, five of which I speak.
the level of my other languages and learn to
cook more like Master Chef. I would stop
giving all of myself to others, leaving little or
nothing for me. I must learn to say NO!
If you could perform with one musician who
would it be? That has already happened. I
opened for my idol, Miss Ella Fitzgerald, in Italy
in May of 1986. I was without words. I would
love to do a duet either with Frank Sinatra or
Barbara Streisand.
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… the venue was the
Nightclub Archipelago in Harare, Zimbabwe. I
was there one year after the fall of Rhodesia.
This private nightclub was owned and run by a
Greek Zimbabwean who was pursued by the
Mugabe government because he was white
and I was living and performing in an
ambience of reversed apartheid. It was an
interesting engagement and I was invited
back during the same year.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would love to perfect my Catalan to
Gwen with Ella Fitzgerald
“Music is an extraordinary
vehicle for expressing
emotions - very powerful
emotions. That’s what
draws people to it.”
– ANNIE LENNOX
43

USA: Dreaming of Accordians
RICK CHIZMADIA
FAUSA and American Women’s Club of Zurich
From: Detroit, Michigan
Lives: Cincinnati, Ohio
44
I was born in Detroit, Michigan and my early years
were spent in the Hamtramck Polish area of Detroit,
and then at 8 we moved to the suburb of Warren,
which consisted of mainly Polish and Italian families. I
am of Polish–Hungarian decent and 2 nd generation
American. Though my father is Hungarian, my
mother’s culture dominated my life. At the age of 6
my mother enrolled me in Polish folk dancing
classes. I absolutely loved it and excelled at it.
While in dance classes I was exposed to an
accordion. I was fascinated by its sound and look. I
loved how the bellows went in and out and the
diamond pattern on it changed as they did. I kept
asking my mom if I could take lessons. Her answer
was always the same – “no you are taking dance lessons.” I really wanted to play the accordion
and every night I would look out the window for the first star and say “I wish I may, I wish I might
have the wish I wish tonight: I wish for an accordion!”
One day my mom overheard me, and realized how seriously I was wanting to play it. She
explained to me that if I wanted to take up the accordion, then I had to give up dancing. She
wasn’t going to be driving the 10 miles
back to Polish area of town twice a
week when she had three other
children to take care of. I learned it very
quickly and excelled at it. I have always
been musically inclined.
My best babysitter was a HiFi record
player which I would dance to and
listen to music all day long as a toddler.
At the studio where I took lessons, they
had an accordion band program which
I joined at the age of 9. I was sent to
compete in the American Guild of
Music competitions with the band, and
playing solos. I started winning many
awards until I graduated high school. In
5 th grade I was introduced to the band
program and wanted to learn the
trumpet. We did not have a lot of
money so my mother said that I could
play my grandfather’s clarinet. We
discovered that it was an A clarinet and

not a B flat clarinet that was taught in the
schools. Mom would only let me play the
A clarinet because we couldn’t afford
another instrument. That was a decision
that would come back to haunt me later
in life.
When I turned 15, I joined a polka band
and played in all the area Polish festivals
and lots of weddings. I did this for 12 years
into adulthood. At 17 I started giving
accordion lessons to beginners. Music
was such an important part of my life, I
wanted nothing more than to play. I went
to the local community college to study
music to become a public school
teacher. I discovered while being there
that they did not accept the accordion
as an instrument in their programs so I had
to learn piano. Again, my parents were
adamant that they could not afford
another instrument.
My professor saw that I was a natural at music theory and ended up having a conference with
my parents and convinced them that I should take piano lessons so I could be admitted in a
program. They bought me a used piano and at 18 I began piano lessons. During those first years
I needed extra money to get me through college so I applied to be a cashier at Kmart so that I
could afford a car to get me back and forth to school. Jobs were scarce at that time, and that
was the only job opening that I saw. I was told by the HR department that men could not be
cashiers, only women could. I ended up filing a grievance with the Kmart Corp. threatening to
file a lawsuit. I was being discriminated against for being a man. My best friend’s father was vice
president of the company and when he found out, he worked with the company to change the
policy. This was my beginning as an activist.
45
Because they were forced to hire me, the
managers in the store were unhappy with the
situation and kept doing things to me to make me
quit. They made me give up my teaching job,
because it was “moonlighting.” They would pull me
off the cash register and make me do things such
as clean the grease traps in the kitchen, and even
scrub down the bathrooms and paint them.
Eventually they fired me and I filed a grievance
with the labor relations board, won, and received
immediate unemployment. In the meantime,
because of all the energy that I had spent fighting
them in work, my studies suffered and I dropped
out of school.
Being a musician was most important to me so I
started to teach music privately again and
established the Great Lakes Regional Contest for
the American Guild of Music, a contest I am still in
charge of today. I eventually went back to school
and received a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Music
Education. Another thing that I did while in early

adulthood was leave the polka band and go on the staff at a big accordion school and play
in their 40 piece accordion band. This band would win national titles and we would tour Europe
every other summer and play in big concert halls, churches and piazzas. This is where I first
became a global citizen. We would stay in people’s homes and youth hostels and made
friends with other accordionists from around the world.
I was running the music contests and expanded them from 100 students in the first contest to
2100 students that would come from all over the Great Lake states. After my first contest, I was
elected to the board of directors of American Guild of Music (AGM) and ran their contests
around the eastern half of the USA. I have been doing that for 42 years and became their
executive director 5 years ago. At the same time as my involvement in AGM I grew my student
base from 25 students a week to 125 in private and group lessons and went back to school to
earn a degree so that I could go on to get a Masters degree in Arts Administration.
While I was working on my bachelors, I
met my husband Richard and gave up
the dream of the masters in Arts
Administration to stay with him and
concentrate on my students and the
music contests. I ended up getting a
masters in Multimedia and
Communications instead when he had his
first assignment in mid-Michigan. In 2006
he was transferred to Zurich so I gave up
my music studio and created an online
registration process for the contest so that
I could continue to run the contests while
living abroad. Thus I would come back to
the USA every three months and run three
contests a year and visit family at the
same time. Whilst abroad I studied the
music of Switzerland and France. Now in
Cincinnati I sing in the Cincinnati Men’s
Chorus, and play 23 gigs a year with the
accordion band “Squeeze Play” where
we play in nursing homes, retirement
centers and various Oktoberfests. I also
teach a handful of students the piano.
We plan to retire in 4 years, travel in the Airstream and take cruises and travel the world. I have
taken my accordion with me on the camping trips and performed at the campsites with other
musicians and on a recent cruise to Alaska, I joined the cruise choir and entered the Voice of
the Ocean competition where I made it all the way to the finals. I would expect that I would do
more of the same in the years to come.
Music unites us: We can differ politically, economically and culturally and it has the power to
heal us. I can go into the room, not speaking the same language – but still communicate
through music. I have a yearning to learn about other cultures because of this. My music is my
legacy – I am most proud of how I have touched and shaped thousands of young people’s
lives through my teaching and administration of the AGM music contests. Students reach out to
me via Facebook or they return to the contests and tell me how important that I was in their
lives and helped make them successful. I am proud of having achieved 50 years of
membership in the AGM, something that only 3 other people have done in its 117 year history. I
am also extremely proud that I am the longest serving person at the head of the organization.
46

I am currently the 1 st VP of FAUSA which
means I organize all communications for
FAUSA and annual meeting production.
FAWCO offers me the opportunity to meet
and network with other global citizens like
me and FAWCO helps empower women,
not only US citizens but underprivileged
women around the world. The foundation
work is very important and that empowers
me to remain a part of FAWCO even
though I have been back in the USA for
almost 10 years now.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Anything Depeche Mode.
Anything Beethoven as I have always
related to his compositions and
admired that he wrote most of them
as a deaf man.
Any polka.
French musette music especially “Retour Des
Hirondelles.“
To sing – “Love Don’t Need a Reason” or any
Broadway standard.
GETTING TO KNOW RICK
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I am on the
national board of directors of the Human
Rights Campaign and have worked over 27
years with this organization, helping to raise
over 3 million dollars to fight discrimination for
GLBTQ people in the USA and around the
USA. The flame to stand up and fight for my
rights and the rights of others started in school
where I was constantly bullied and almost
raped in the gym locker room for being who I
am. Because it happened to me, I have
always stood up for those who are bullied and
abused. At an early age I discovered that
women were not treated equally and I never
understood that. I have always looked at us
as humans with no differences.
If you could perform with one group of
musicians who would they be? Hands down I
would love to meet Depeche Mode and
perform with them. They have been my go-to
group since the 80s. I find their music is
infectious, singable and very danceable and
also avant-garde.
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… The most unusual
place I have performed was for a dance for
deaf people. We had to turn our speakers
and amplifiers down on the floor. The room
was utter quiet when we were not playing.
But when we would start playing the
attendees would dance to the vibrations of
the sound. That performance made me open
my eyes that a handicap does not and should
not hold you back and made me appreciate
those less fortunate than me.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? Getting rid of the musician messiness
and artistic never being absolutely happy with
each creation. I would like to stop
procrastinating.
47

A Letter to My Master Teacher
48
Dear Professor:
How are you, and your children (all grown up by now)?
I hope, well. I am doing fine. I still live in France with my
husband Jean. We have three children – a 14-year-old girl,
and two boys, 7 and 9. It has been 23 years since you gave
me my last piano lesson. Can you believe that? So much has
changed in our world since then: I just “googled” you and
printed out your Wikipedia article. Imagine that!
You are probably wondering why I am writing you now.
Well, among other things, I am working hard to complete a
project required to receive my TEFL (Teaching English as a
Foreign Language) certificate. Its title is: “Writing your
Learning Memoirs: Learning to write English by reflecting on
the ‘Master Teachers’ who have inspired your past learning.”
As part of the project, I am writing my own Learning
Memoirs. You are one of my “Master Teachers,” and I want
to express this in a personal letter.
From time to time, little events trigger my memory of the two years I spent at the university
as a Piano Performance major. For me, that time transcended everyday life for I was
completely fulfilled in body, mind, heart and soul.
Of course, my soul was happiest my wedding day and the day my first child was born.
And there was the summer I spent serving God in the Peloponnesus in Greece, where I slept in
a whitewashed bungalow 20 meters from the beach with 15 teenagers and a fellow counsellor,
and we woke to a ringing Church bell and the scent of bougainvillea wafting through the
morning breeze. For my body, there is the happiness of first love such as I once felt for a young
soldier, holding on to his waist and riding down the highway, my hair streaming behind me,
ending up at an empty beach in late afternoon to discuss poetry and what it takes to be
happy, before swimming and diving through the rocks and then hugging each other as the sun
set. My mind was ecstatic when in the depth of my master degree’s tripartite business/
international studies/languages curriculum. And my heart is at peace in the arms of my
husband and with the soft touch of my children. Yet the dedication to musical and personal
learning, beauty and passion, self-discovery and sharing with other musicians, which took place
at the university, for me, fulfilled all of me at the same time – it fell just under the spiritual.
Professor, there is something I have
wanted to tell you for quite some time
now: You played an important role in
my personal growth. I saw you every
Monday in Performance Class and
once a week for a private lesson. You
would gently ask me to play the pieces
that I had been working on, and you
would then venture respectful, at times
even tender, feedback, with
suggestions for dealing with difficult
passages and interpretation, and
compliments on my playing when
merited. I felt free to ask you questions,
penetrating questions, and until my

appetite had been satiated, and you patiently responded, with your heart and mind, sharing all
that you had experienced. Your stable personality and honest outlook on life assured me that
you would tell the truth and never make fun of my efforts.
As any piano teacher and student know, the relationship is tight. The student is exposing her
innermost self to the teacher, who in turn has the responsibility to take this seriously and in the
spirit of confidentiality and trust. To attain this, the teacher must also expose his vulnerabilities.
Music school was the prelude to the fugue that is my life. And among the talented professors at
the university who opened the world of music up to me ‒ Piano Pedagogy, Music History,
Conducting, Modern Dance, Music Theory and Ear Training, and Piano Performance – you were
the one who gave me the most.
Professor, you may remember me as an academically confident and socially self-assured
young 20-something. You certainly would also recall my insecurity where my talent as a pianist
was concerned. Either I doomed myself from the start by comparing myself to the more
technically gifted pianists at the University, or I had a harshly realistic understanding of my
limitations and strengths and judged that they would fall short. I remember a time when this
insecurity actually paralysed me. The final exam in Piano Pedagogy instructed us to write an
essay about our hypothetical rise as a concert pianist by describing the pedagogical influences
that had allowed this to happen. I was incapable of letting my imagination run free because I
was somehow afraid I’d be publicly accused of telling lies if I were to imagine myself as a great
pianist. I remember this clearly because at this time in my life, I wished more than anything else
to be a world-class pianist.
Remember the day I asked
you if we could talk about my
future? We agreed that I would
make us a picnic lunch, and we
would eat outside. I think we ate
shrimp salad sandwiches, and I
think it was April. I recall passing
your wife in the hallway, just
before meeting you, and how
lucky I thought she was to be
spending her life with you – with
your kind way and brilliant mind –
and she told me that she hoped I
would find your advice helpful.
That day I had Rainer Maria
Rilke and his “First Letter to a
Young Poet” on my mind. I
quote: “There is only one thing
you should do. Go into yourself. Find out the reason that commands you to write; see whether it
has spread its roots into the very depths of your heart; confess to yourself whether you would
have to die if you were forbidden to write. This most of all: ask yourself in the most silent hour of
your night: must I write?” Of course, my question was, “must I be a pianist?” To be honest, I knew
that I was too weak and cowardly and scared to answer this in the affirmative. But I wished that I
could have.
We met at your piano studio and walked out to the front steps of the music building and
sat near one of the white columns, and you asked me what I wanted from life…. I told you lots of
things, the desire to go abroad, study other subjects, and to keep music in my life. I didn’t ask
you point blank whether or not I could “make it as a pianist.” Maybe I should have. I know now I
could have. Of course, I could have. There are many ways to be a pianist. I wouldn’t have had
to be a concert pianist or a university piano professor ‒ I could have been a teacher like I am
now, happily teaching piano, but a finer performer and a more knowledgeable musician.
49

Today I write my learning memoirs to find out if I am a writer. Unlike 23 years ago, my
question is not, “do you think I can make it as a writer?” I don’t need to ask you, Professor, or
anyone else, because I now understand Rilke, and in my most silent hour of the night, I know I
must write. The saddest thing for me would be to die before I got to write. And so I write.
What I realize now is that what I love even more than the piano is self-expression. Piano
allowed me to express my emotions. Today, I teach piano, but I no longer practice and perform
difficult pieces. With my limited free time it cannot be a priority. I am addicted to the piano
teacher/student relationship. I still find it to be incredibly fulfilling, no matter which end you are
on. For various reasons, I have turned to writing as my self-expression. It is really all the same, just
the techniques are different.
Professor, my mind has always found the most precious gift to be those interactions with
great and sensitive minds. Thank you for having made yours available to me. As you can see, it
has made a difference. I will be forever grateful.
With my warmest wishes always, Your Student
Jane Mobille is an ICF Professional Certified Coach, as well as a facilitator, editor, writer, and pianist.
Previously, she had a 10-year career in telecommunications and as many again in music. Jane runs a
coaching practice for individuals and organizations representing a diversity of ages, cultures, and
professions. She is a member of AAWE, serving as editor of its quarterly magazine. She also authors a
"Teen Coach" column at online magazine INSPIRELLE. Jane and her French husband have a 24-yearold
daughter, and two teenage sons.
“I feel like B sides
(of records) are
always better, no
matter whose
record it is.”
– ALICIA KEYS
50

Germany: Musical Theater Brought to Life
KRISSY DORN
American International Women’s Club of
Cologne, Germany
From: Bavaria, raised in Ludwigshafen, Germany
Lives: Cologne, Germany
I grew up in Ludwigshafen/Rhein as my parents’ only
child. My family loved classical music, but no one really
played an instrument or sang, except for my Dad’s
mother, who was a pianist by training, even though she
never performed. My Mom has a beautiful voice, but it
took her decades and a lot of persuasive work from my
part for her to finally use it and join a choir; she’s 80 now
and still sings in it.
As a teenager I taught myself how to play guitar when I
realized that I liked American folk, rock and blues much
more than Mozart (I still like playing an occasional
Chopin nocturne on the piano though). After someone
told me I sounded like her, Joan Baez became my great
role model and I would copy her singing style for a while.
This didn’t prevent me from joining a delirious punk band with the ineffable name “Agent
Orange,” but that's what you do when you're 17 and in love. Later with my rock band,
“Limelight,” we would play original songs with 70s-inspired, seemingly endless guitar solos and
funny keyboard sounds. But we had great gigs and critics would rave about our philosophical
lyrics, interesting sound effects and “Krissy’s soothing voice that made some girls stare dreamily
into the void." Yes, I know. I’m only quoting the local newspaper.
It was after getting my translator's degree and moving to Munich with the love of my life, who
became my husband, that I discovered musical theater through a local dance school. While
starting my business as a literary translator, I also started taking voice lessons with Bruno
Hetzendorfer, cabaret performer and former opera singer with a poignant dark Vienna humor.
Bruno not only taught me how to breathe properly and find my own unique sound; he
also introduced me to tons of beautiful
show tunes. Last but not least, he built
my confidence by inviting me to
perform in some of his shows and sing
backing vocals on his album.
By some mysterious coincidence I got
cast in the first ever and only German
professional production of “Annie,” for
the ensemble and the anonymous role
of the Star-To-Be who gets to step out of
the crowd to sing a soaring solo –
a successful debut for me, but sadly,
back then musical theater wasn’t that
big of a thing in Germany, and even
though I lost my heart to it, I couldn’t
quite pursue the path to Broadway.
51

Instead, another classical voice
teacher and a jazz band crossed
my path. Soprano Ulrike Belician
gave me a glimpse of what it
means to train a voice for the
opera stage. My voice actually
grew big, voluminous, and
operatic. Much to my teacher’s
dislike, I sang in a jazz cover band
called “Acidophilic” that played a
variety of music called acid jazz
combining elements of jazz, soul,
funk and disco. Astoundingly, what
seemed contradictory actually
worked together nicely and made
me realize that the human voice is
one of the most versatile instruments that can be trained to produce many different sounds.
My husband hadn’t even quite finished his PhD in Munich when he got a job offer that required
us to relocate to the Rhineland. I agreed, on the condition that we would settle down in
Cologne downtown as I had got to love the big city life. After relocating to Cologne and
pursuing my translating career, I got cast in a musical theater revue show, “Nights On
Broadway,” an ongoing professional production that kept me busy for three seasons, performing
everything from “Fame” to “Phantom of the Opera” and, yay, “On My Own” from Les
Misérables. Meanwhile, I continued to study voice with a renowned teacher from the Folkwang
School of Performing Arts in Essen, Noel Turner, who helped me refine my sound and build a
larger repertoire.
I've always enjoyed singing in bands because I love watching people respond to my music and
interacting with the audience. When I got the opportunity to join the “Joe Cool Band” and their
disco-funk project “King James & the Royal Family,” I didn’t hesitate. Performing and touring with
these guys was a great experience and worked well, even after I had my daughter Hannah and
went into the mom business (writing, recording and performing kids’ pop songs with Hannah).
At some point though, I got bored of singing other people’s music and decided to start my own
singer/songwriter project. I wrote a set of songs, played gigs in clubs and neighborhood cafés
and found a producer for my song “Babylon.” Meanwhile, I continued to further my vocal
studies, taking a master class in musical theater with teachers from the Stella Academy in
Hamburg, a master class in the
new Estill Voice Training, a song
writing class and more. During
that phase, I started teaching
students and found this to be a
very fulfilling experience.
52
And then we packed our bags
again and moved to San
Francisco. Singing and making
music have always been the
things in my life that kept my
boat afloat, but the move to
California took my musical
career to a whole new level. The
San Francisco Bay Area
welcomed me with a vibrant
and diverse scene of music,

theater and cabaret that seemed to be waiting just for me. I got cast in musical theater shows
and ended up doing a series of revue shows in San Francisco with a new company
named “John Bisceglie Presents.” Getting to work with so many like-minded supertalented
people made it easy to be creative and productive. I had the privilege to be a founding
member of Dominic Lim’s “NovAntiqua,” a vocal ensemble based in Oakland, CA, consisting of
some of the most sought-after musicians in the area. Eventually, I started to put my own shows
together, in an iconic piano bar in San Francisco, Martuni’s, under the wings of drag artist and
trained baritone Vanessa Bousay, who had become my dear friend and mentor.
Before long, I took a liking to producing shows on a bigger scale and created “To California with
Love,” a fundraiser concert for the Hemophilia Foundation of Northern California that took place
in May 2016 in Lafayette, CA, including twelve performers, two pianists and a cello player, and a
slideshow. I picked the music, picked the cast and
crew, the music director, wrote the script, and
performed in almost every number. Many of our
friends came to see the show, and I got the feeling I
was able to give them something lasting and
memorable, the essence of the time we got to
spend together.
While living in California, I took lessons with a former
opera singer from the East Coast, Loree Capper,
who helped me keep my voice safe and sound and
let it grow with all the singing. Working with her and
studying her unique teaching approach made me
want to pick up my teaching career.
In 2017 I started a three-year diploma course in a
groundbreaking new vocal technique called
“Complete Vocal Technique” (CVT) in the beautiful
town of Copenhagen, Denmark, that is based on
science and designed for all singers, no matter the
genre or style. Now that my daughter is almost on
her way to college, my goal is to pick up teaching
voice and establish myself as a CVT teacher/
coach. Of course, I also want to continue
performing – with the new projects that I started this year – an original band named “Sonic99”
and an acoustic jazz/pop guitar duo). I’d love to sing in a small vocal ensemble and I want to
put little cabaret shows on stage, just myself and a pianist and maybe a duet partner for a
couple songs, just like I did in California.
I grew up with classical music, and I’m grateful for this solid base and background. However, I
never really felt at home in classical singing. To express myself vocally I needed rhythmical music;
my first influences were American protest singers, such as Joan Baez and Bob Dylan, the 70s rock
and blues bands such as Deep Purple and The Doors, who were already considered as “oldies”
in the 80s, but very popular in Germany at the time. To this day, I love checking out different
genres and new music, and I am a great fan of contemporary artists such as Ed Sheeran or
Alicia Keys.
Ironically, I had to leave the home country of classical music not only to appreciate my musical
roots but also to find a bunch of talented vocalists to share them with. It was in the US that I
realized that my classical upbringing and training had had more impact on my musicality than I
thought. I actually started to perform not only classical super hits like “Pie Jesu” or the
“Flower Duet” from Lakmé, but also Schubert and Strauss art songs, and dared include them into
my cabaret programs. Today, more than ever, I am convinced that music is about story telling
53

and sharing feelings, no matter the
genre or style. It seems like the stint in
California has made my musical career
come full circle.
I always thought that the joy of music is
universal, and I still do, but I was
surprised to see that there are definitely
different ways of experiencing it in
other parts of the world. I never liked
the German concept of dividing music
into “serious” and “entertaining,”
implying that “entertaining” is somehow
of lesser value. Shouldn’t music always
be entertaining? Isn’t there serious work
behind every show, even if it looks seemingly effortless and easy going? American musical
theater is appreciated and loved for both being seriously hard and entertainingly light.
I love that about it.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Any song from the musical Les Misérables because it’s an epic piece of music about the
eternal human struggle and universal values.
“Diamonds & Rust” by Joan Baez; I’ve learned to play the beautiful guitar picking a long
time ago and have loved to sing this song ever since.
“Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey, one of the most
inspiring songs I’ve ever heard. For me, it represents
everything I love about America.
“Who Wants to Live Forever” by Queen: if there’s a song
that brings me to tears in a second it’s this one. And
sometimes everyone needs a good cry.
I used “Super Girl” by Reamonn in the soundtrack for a
video about my daughter when she was little. She will
always be my super girl.
GETTING TO KNOW KRISSY
Tell us something interesting about yourself that
not many people know. I dislike buttons with a
passion. Any buttons. Some call it
buttonphobia. It’s a thing. I googled it.
If you could meet one musician, who would it
be? I would love to meet James Taylor. He
seems to be not only an accomplished
musician but also a wonderful person. I
imagine it would be amazing to sing and play
music with him in his barn studio, harmonize to
his beautiful songs and maybe create
something new together. Other than that, I’m
not that attracted by stardom; I have sung with
incredibly talented people who weren’t
famous, and got just as many goosebumps
doing so.
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… a Holy Mary grotto in
the middle of the forest when my godson was
being christened. I sang “Summertime”
accompanied by an old friend and cogodparent.
It was a very special and spiritual
experience for me.
If we looked in your purse/wallet/pocket what
three things would we find that would tell us
something about you? A single dollar bill folded
Origami-style into a bird reminding me of a
very happy family trip to Hawaii; our wedding
Bible verses on a handwritten paper note from
our actual wedding day; an Apple SIM card
ejector pin; a membership card for my favorite
dance studio in Cologne.
54

Belgium: Regular Season Tickets
ANITA MEUWISSEN
American Women’s Club of Antwerp, Belgium
From: Belgium
Lives: Antwerp, Belgium
55
I grew up in a small town in Flanders, Belgium. I was
born to a Dutch father and a Belgian mother. We were
a family of four children, two boys and two girls. I was
the second oldest.
I had a very close relationship with my parents and
siblings. We lived in a house with a big garden and we
played outside most of the time when we were home.
My parents were passionate about classical music and
we grew up listening to baroque music and opera.
When I was eight, I started playing the piano. At
sixteen I stopped and became interested in listening to
classical music by the best performers and enjoyed
comparing different interpretations of each piece.
I left home to study in Ghent to become a translator. The years in Ghent were “student” years,
and because of this, music was less present in my everyday life. I met my husband William when
I was a student. After graduating, we got married and moved to Brussels. The city offered a
large choice of classical music concerts and is home to the opera house De Munt/La Monnaie.
We were happy to have season tickets to the opera house. Gerard Mortier was the director at
that time. He went on to become a leading opera director at different opera houses in the
world, such as the Salzburger Festspiele and the Paris
Opéra La Bastille.
Ten years later, we moved to Antwerp. Antwerp also
has a lot to offer. One of our favorite places is AMUZ,
a beautiful concert venue specializing in top-notch
performances of early music. AMUZ is located in a
beautiful baroque church in downtown Antwerp.
My husband and I take at least one music class a
year. Most recently, we did courses on Beethoven
and Bach. Learning about music teaches you about
the composers and how to better understand the
music by analyzing it, listening to different
performances and comparing them. It is very
interesting to see how opinions vary. We also love
going to live concerts. There are so many choices
today, and I think it’s the best way to listen to and
enjoy music.
My first musical influences were my parents. They
listened to classical music, mainly from the baroque

and classical periods, as well as opera almost daily. When I was sixteen, my parents took me to
Bruges to a live performance of the opera Il Trovatore, written by my favorite opera composer,
Verdi. It made a lasting impression on me, and since then I have adored opera. In addition, I love
all classical music between the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Beyond that period, most
music is too “modern” for me. But my taste in music has changed over the years. When I was
very young, I listened to romantic composers such as Brahms. Now I focus mainly on music
dating from before the mid-nineteenth century.
I have been surprised in the last twenty years how classically educated performers mix popular
and classical music, resulting in performances in huge halls. It all means that there is a much
bigger choice of live music compared to when I was younger.
Music enriches life. It broadens perspectives and fosters the desire to discover more about the
person who created the music as
well as the country he or she lived
in. Music is influenced by society
and the time period when it is
written. Music expands horizons,
making you interested in so much
more than music. I am a
perfectionist by nature, and
through music this feeling has
increased; I will always seek out
and listen to top performances in
top venues. I hope to have
inspired others to listen to classical
music and to become as
passionate about it as I am. It
makes life so much richer. I have
inspired my daughter: she has
played the violin since she was
four years old and she is working in
a classical music concert hall in Antwerp.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Violin Concerto in D Major, op. 62 (Yehudi Menuhin, violin): Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-
1827). The concerto premiered in Vienna in 1806. It took Beethoven only six weeks to
compose. It is a lyrical masterpiece of great creativity that clearly exceeded the genre’s
boundaries. The solo part becomes more and more impressive towards the end. It is a
unique piece of music.
Piano Concerto no. 5 (Emperor), in E flat Major, op. 73 (Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli,
piano): Ludwig van Beethoven. This is one of five piano concertos by Beethoven; all are
very beautiful. They were composed between 1793 and 1809, a fairly short time in
Beethoven’s compositional career. The Fifth Piano Concerto, also called Emperor, is
splendidly worked out and is a very inspiring piece. Beethoven created a new relationship
between the piano and the orchestra. In Beethoven’s piano concertos, the soloist plays a
far more important role than in, for example, Mozart piano concertos.
Double Concerto for Violin in E Major BWV 1042-1043 (David and Igor Oistrakh, violin):
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Bach shows us heaven.
Impromptus D 899 and D 935 (Krystian Zimerman, piano) Franz Schubert (1797-1828). In my
opinion, these pieces are among the most brilliant and moving ever composed for a piano.
Orfeo: Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). Monteverdi was an Italian composer; his opera
Orfeo is considered to be the first opera ever composed. The Italian Renaissance was
coming to an end when Monteverdi composed Orfeo. It is a work of great intensity and
drama and is one of my favorite operas.
56

GETTING TO KNOW ANITA
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I have the idea to
help out as a volunteer in an orphanage for
children in Africa or maybe to work on the
Mercy Ships one day.
If you could meet one musician, who would it
be? I would like to meet Arturo
Benedetti Michelangeli (1920-1995).
He is my all time favorite pianist.
Unfortunately, I never heard him in
a live performance. He was an
Italian pianist and he was very
refined in his playing. I would like
him to play “Ballade no 1, op. 23”
as well as “Andante Spianato” and
“Grande Polonaise Brilliante op.
22,” all composed by Frédéric
Chopin (1810-1849).
where I have listened to music was at the
Arena di Verona in Italy. The venue is magical,
especially in the evening. We went to see Aïda
by Verdi. It was a high level performance,
including a huge stage with live horses, but
unfortunately, the acoustics were subpar and
the music was lost.
The most unusual place I have
performed or listened to music
was… The most unusual place
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57

France: Vocal Jazz Parisian Style
58
I grew up in Boston, with a French mother and an
American father. My earliest memory is of drifting off to
sleep listening to my mother play Chopin and Schubert
on the piano. There was always music in our house. I
played the cello and my brother and sister also studied
music. My mother listened exclusively to classical music,
and my father listened to jazz. When I discovered Joni
Mitchell, I listened to her music obsessively, while my
brother listened to rock.
In my later teen years and when I moved to NY for
college, I focused more on dance than on music. After
college, I worked as a dancer and runway model for
many years, during which music was mostly something to
listen or dance to.
Then in 1980, I moved to Paris for 6 months to model and stayed paying for 12 years of storage in
NYC, before finally going through my boxes of college essays and shampoo, and shipping what I
really wanted to keep to France.
As my sons were growing up and I was trying to decide what I would do with the rest of my life, a
friend brought me to a vocal jazz workshop. I was instantly hooked, and after a few years of
evening classes, decided to seriously pursue music. I auditioned for professional music schools,
where most of the students were not much older than my children (and when I ran into them
outside the classroom, usually assumed I was a teacher), and studied vocal jazz, jazz harmony,
arrangement and composition.
I had already started my first
band and was performing in
jazz bars, but during that time I
wrote my first songs and
realized that songwriting wasn’t
rocket science and was
something I could actually do.
It was a means of expression
that felt incredibly organic,
immediate and intimate to me.
Performing my own songs
changed the way I sing in a
very profound way and I am
always thrilled when people tell
me my songs move them or
make them think.
KAY BOURGINE
Association of American Women in Europe,
Paris
From: Boston, MA
Lives: Paris, France

My current band is guitar, cello and voice, very intimate and acoustic and it feels incredibly
right for my music. I’m in the planning phase of a CD of my own songs. I now play regularly in
some of the best jazz clubs in Paris and hope to start touring in other countries.
I also teach voice and performance skills and lead frequent classes and workshops in Circle
Songs (collective vocal improvisation). I’ve been fortunate to study with Bobby McFerrin,
Rhiannon and many other
incredible vocal improvisers. I
work with professional singers,
amateurs and people who have
been told they can’t sing. I work
with adults, children, teens,
young people in college or
masters programs, older people
and business groups. It’s a
powerful way to explore selfexpression,
to gain confidence,
to find one’s voice, to learn how
one positions oneself in a group,
to learn to take the lead yet be
ready to drop it and follow
someone else’s lead at any time,
to learn deep listening skills, to
feel seen and heard.
My first musical influences were Chopin, Schubert, Leonard Bernstein - West Side Story, The
Gershwins - Porgy and Bess, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rodgers musicals, and Joni Mitchell and
James Taylor. Then as I got older, I became fascinated by Soul Train and started listening to funk
and soul. As a songwriter, Joni is certainly my biggest influence, along with other singersongwriters
(James Taylor, Ricki Lee Jones, Suzanne Vega) and Celtic music. I still love all of the
music cited above, and Joni is my go-to music when I’m sad, but I’ve been discovering country
music recently and have found a few singers I really admire. I like to listen to jazz and Arvo Pärt,
Gorecki, Samuel Barber and Philip Glass, and go to many concerts.
Music is a universal language, spanning borders, creating connection and community
throughout the world, without the barrier of spoken language. I find there’s also a spiritual
aspect to songwriting and to collective improvisation, which nourishes me and brings joy and
meaning to my life every day. Through my music I have discovered that I know how to create a
safe space for people and I get deep satisfaction from creating that space and watching
people blossom. I’m proud to say that today I work with amazing musicians and play in good
jazz clubs.
Pieces of music I recommend/love
Joni Mitchell’s album Blue - because it has been my go-to music when I’m sad and/or
pensive ever since I was 12 years old and still moves me deeply.
West Side Story - which has been a part of my life as far back as I can remember and I
absolutely love it.
Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” and “Serenade for
String Orchestra,” because they’re so beautiful. I’ve listened
to them hundreds of times and will hundreds more.
“Alina” by Arvo Pärt because it makes me dream.
The songs “Sexual Healing” by Marvin Gaye, “Brick House”
by The Commodores and “Renaissance” by Al di Meola,
Jean Luc Ponty and Stanley Clarke, because they make
me want to dance.
59

GETTING TO KNOW KAY
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I worked for years
as a backup dancer behind pop stars on
French TV shows at the same time as I was
walking the runways for top designers in
haute couture. It was quite contrast. And
I got my start in modeling on roller skates!
myself. I would love to be able to do that on
the guitar.
If you could meet one musician, who
would it be? I would love to meet Joni
Mitchell again. I spent an evening sitting
next to her once when I was 22, but I
was too young and self-conscious to
dare say much to her. I would love to
have another chance.
What are some of the things you would
love to get better at and things you
would like to stop doing? I’d like to learn
to play the guitar. I compose on the
piano, but can’t accompany
"You are born an
artist,
or you are not.
And you stay an
artist, dear,
even if your voice
is less of a
fireworks.
The artist is always
there."
– MARIA CALLAS
60

If I were a musical instrument I would be...
..a grand
piano. I
understand
the
instrument
better than
other instruments because I have
played it myself. The timbre of a
grand piano is bright and big. It is
a fascinating instrument because
you can play different notes at
the same time. Many of the great
composers were excellent
pianists.
ANITA MEUWISSEN
..a cello. It’s still my favorite
instrument….the one that moves me the
most deeply, the one I chose to study
when I was 8 and it’s said to be the
instrument closest to the human voice. I
love the sound it makes!
KAY BOURGINE
..a singer because I feel like I AM a
musical instrument myself as my
whole body is involved in making
sound.
KRISSY DORN
...a bass. On a
cartoon in Milt
Hinton's room it says,
“You can tell he
loves his bass
because of the way
he hugs it.”
MARIANNE GAUER
..my husband’s cello from now and
then. I would put all my love to him in
creating the most beautiful sound on
his instrument to make him happy.
MIEKE STOEL
..the french horn. It has the same lovely middle
range as the viola but it is an orchestral solo
instrument that embodies nobility and purity in
warm tones that carry over any instrument. It
has a beautiful design, very round, and is the
bridge between the woodwinds and the brass
in the orchestra. Chamber music is written for it
in combination with both woodwind
ensembles and brass ensembles. You can
have your cake and eat it, too. The horn is
never buried in the orchestral sound but soars
above it filling
the air with
hope and
beauty.
CAROL HABICH-
TRAUT
..the piano because it is the closet to the
voice and I would be able to interpret so
many
melodies and
play so many
songs. Then
the lyrics “I am
music and I
write the
songs” would
really be true.
GWEN PERRY
61

Germany: Life As A Viola Player
I grew up in Hauppauge on Long Island, NY. My
mom started taking piano lessons and I decided at
two years old to climb onto the piano and try to
play. I guess mom thought I had talent as I started
lessons at three years old.
In the second grade at elementary school, everyone
got a hearing test and those with decent ears were
offered instruments in the beginning of 3rd grade. I
did score second highest in the school but as I was sick on selection day, there were only violins
left to choose, so I started on violin. We had group lessons in school and played in orchestra but
my mom also got me private lessons. I didn’t practice much as I was interested in everything and
loved school, just couldn’t decide where to concentrate my energy.
For a few years I attended the junior championship program at the Post Washington Tennis
Academy and considered pursuing that professionally. Not wanting to leave high school early, I
decided against it and suddenly music really hit me as important and I started practicing hard. I
applied to the Manhattan School of Music pre-college program, graduated from high school
and immediately went to my first summer music program at Bowdoin College.
After Bowdoin, I moved to NYC and got a live-in job with an elderly lady that I cooked and
shopped for and a part-time job at the gift shop at Lincoln Center. I also studied violin privately
with Lewis Kaplan from Juilliard, whom I had studied with at Bowdoin, and practiced a lot. I
noticed that practicing violin a lot was giving me a headache and the shakes but I persevered
until I went back to Bowdoin and discovered the viola and started studying with Paul Doktor,
which being in a lower register and having the bridge further away from my ears, did not cause
me problems.
In September I had an
audition for Juilliard and was
accepted. I moved into the
Beacon Hotel near Juilliard
with a fellow student and as I
got no funds from my
parents, got a job at Macy’s
working 22.5 hours a week
(weekends and evenings) to
make ends meet. Having
hardly any money for food, I
got very skinny and sick but
then found a patron through
Juilliard, got a free place to
CAROL HABICH-TRAUT
American International Women’s Club of
Düsseldorf, Germany
From: New York, NY
Lives: Solingen, Germany
62

live in the Dakota in exchange for errands
and shopping for a Professor of Radiology
and author of textbooks. Dr. Squire was a
fabulous woman ahead of her time and I
am still grateful for her generosity. I worked
hard, got more scholarships, and graduated
with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Summers I spent in Aspen, Los Angeles
Philharmonic Institute, Yale at Norfolk and
Tanglewood. I was invited to do a Juilliard
Chamber Orchestra tour of South America
and Juilliard Orchestra Tour of Europe.
After finishing Juilliard, I was interested in
returning to Europe, so I was invited to play
with the Heidelberger Chamber Orchestra,
a touring orchestra and so I alternated
between NYC work and HCO. While I was in
Europe, I played for any auditions that
coincided with my being there, and ended
up as assistant Principal of Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen. One year later I was Solo-
Viola of Remscheider Symphoniker, now Bergische Symphoniker.
Music is my life. I’ve been a member of different chamber music ensembles and this brings me
the most joy but I like the security of a steady paying job. I’ve decided to step down as Solo-
Viola (1st chair) to assistant solo (2nd chair). I’m still involved in playing chamber music,
sometimes do charity concerts with Robin Goldsby and have played in various constellations for
the elderly or sick. I’m always interested in new directions. I’ll try anything musically once. I still
love my job after so many years and certain pieces still make me cry or give me goosebumps
even after so many performances! I often feel healed by music, sometimes just by playing, other
times by the feedback (verbal and nonverbal) from the audience. When I listen to music, I feel
carried away to another dimension, floating in a calm but exciting paradise. In the best
performances, I get “in the flow” and am very in the moment but also hearing and aware of a
split second ahead of me to prepare to express the next moment. It is an awesome feeling and
all consuming.
63

I had several early musical
influences: the recordings of
Jascha Heifetz, Leonard Rose,
my teacher Paul Doktor,
beautiful players all. Also
Leonard Bernstein, Felix
Galamir, Juilliard and Tokyo
String Quartets, all with whom I
had the pleasure of working
with are still inspiring. Today
there are many more.
Pieces of music I recommend/
love
Brahms 4th symphony
because I played it with
Lenny Bernstein and it
was an unforgettable
experience.
Bartok Viola Concerto
because I feel very connected to it. Mozart Marriage of Figaro opera, just an amazing
piece, one beautiful melody after another and played
with awesome singers in Spoleto.
Beethoven String Quartet Opus 131, a marathon
masterpiece that I played as a member of the
Newberry String Quartet at Juilliard, such really
wonderful memories.
La Traviata because it always makes me cry.
it
GETTING TO KNOW CAROL
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. Wynton Marsalis
was in some of my classes and orchestra at
Juilliard, I think he is one of the most brilliant
people I’ve ever known but he is also a really
nice guy.
If you could meet one musician, who would it
be? J.S. Bach, play his
music with him and just
listen to him play!
The most unusual place I
have performed or
listened to music was…
Performing Carmina
Burana for the Royal
family of UAE for their 30th
anniversary in Abu Dhabi.
Performing in my
orchestra for Queen
Elizabeth and Prince Philip
and having the Queen
standing next to me to
deliver her speech!
64

Luxembourg: Bringing Joy Through Singing
I grew up in Atlanta, GA, one of 8 children, so growing up
was very interesting. It was impossible to have time to
myself, so I learned very early to be an extrovert. Going to
church was a big part of my life. It took me a while before I
started to sing, but by the age of 10, I was singing in a
young gospel choir.
After finishing high school, I took the route of most abiding
children and went to college to study computer science.
After almost two years of studying, I knew I had to follow my
heart, so I moved to New York City to study acting, singing
and dance.
After meeting my husband, he got an offer to come to Luxembourg for work. It was a very
difficult decision for me, as my career was starting to show some promise. After a lot of thought, I
followed love. However, not long after moving to Luxembourg I found the entertainment scene
and things took off from there. Becoming a mom changed my focus and passion for a while;
however, now that my children are growing up, I can start to feel the itch to try again.
I have always been a huge fan of gospel and soul singers so my first musical influences were
people like Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Bette Midler, Oleta Adams etc. The influences haven’t
really changed over time; however, they have developed quite a bit. Over time, you learn to
find your own voice and sound but my influences are still rooted in gospel and soul.
I have learned over time that I
should trust my voice and that
it’s truly an instrument that needs
to be taken care of and tuned.
When you sing sometimes you
get this out of body experience.
You know you’re there, but you
feel like you’re floating. It’s such
a calming and warm feeling. I’m
proud of the joy that I bring to
people when I sing. When
someone tells me that they had
goosebumps after hearing me
sing, it’s an incredibly humble
feeling. In the music business
today you don’t need to be a
good or great singer; auto-tune
is a miracle worker!
ARNITA SWANSON-HALLERSTROM
American Women’s Club of Luxembourg,
Luxembourg
From: Atlanta, GA
Lives: Luxembourg
65

Pieces of music I recommend/love
Whitney Houston’s first CD.
Teddy Pendergrass’s music.
Kirk Franklin & family’s music.
Adele’s music.
Yolanda Adams’s music.
GETTING TO KNOW ARNITA
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know.
I am a Luxembourg citizen.
If you could perform with one musician, who
would it be and what music would you like to
play? I would have loved to perform with
Whitney Houston. The song that I would have
wanted to perform with her would have been
“I Have Nothing.”
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… in Dubai. They built a
stage that was in between their two towers
and it was a bit scary in the beginning, but
after a while, it was so fun.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would love to get better at my tennis
game and I need to stop trying to help
everyone (shhh, I do love being helpful
though).
66

Switzerland: In The Opera Chorus
ELEANOR PAUNOVIC
American Women’s Club of Zurich, Switzerland
From: Fort Covington, NY
Lives: Zurich, Switzerland
I grew up in Fort Covington, NY, which is on the
Canadian border with Quebec. Montreal was the
closest cultural center. I had a normal childhood filled
with cold-weather sports and lots of music, as my
mother taught piano. I played and sang from an early
age, realizing that I had a mature voice when I was
quite young. I had natural vibrato at around age 7. I
also played trumpet. I belonged to various all-state
choruses and bands, winning competitions and even
going on a European Tour when I was 16, playing
trumpet in the United States Collegiate Wind Band.
I went to SUNY Oswego, majoring in Voice. I explored
other types of music there, performing in musicals and
jazz groups. I then went on to the New England
Conservatory in Boston, where I received a master's degree in Voice. There I discovered my love
for early (Baroque/Renaissance) music. I lived and worked in Boston for quite a few years
afterward, honing my performance skills. I sang in the Handel and Haydn Society, Boston
Baroque, and many other groups, both in the ensembles and as soloist. I eventually made my
way to Zurich after a friend told me that there was a spot in the opera chorus. I still sing there, it is
how I make my living, and when I'm not there, I have an active and busy solo career. I recently
performed my "Best of Broadway," which is a two-woman show (my accompanist is another
American who is also a lover of musicals), and sang as soloist in Vivaldi's Gloria with a wonderful
Baroque orchestra.
My plan is to stay here in Zurich until I retire - I have two teenagers who are in the Swiss school
system. After that, when we move back to the States, I hope to get a college position and teach
voice privately.
My mom was my first, and biggest,
musical influence. Later on, my
individual voice teachers were my
mentors, and some conductors
(Christopher Hogwood comes to
mind) were influential in terms of
style. I have found that the great
conductors, directors and other
singers are all nice and helpful. The
higher up their level, the more
pleasant and helpful I find they are.
67

For me good music is good music,
regardless of the genre. When you
perform from your heart, it doesn't matter
if it's classical, musical, country or rock - as
long as it's authentic. I have learned how
to rise to any musical challenge that a
director throws my way - singing in crazy
costumes doing improbable things is part
of the job description.
Yesterday I went to see the West End
show Let it Be and I cried quite a bit
because music, when it is performed
well, is evocative and takes us
somewhere. This particular musical takes
the audience back to the 60s and 70s. For
most audience members, these years
were our formative years, and we could
laugh and cry at the various old
commercials, etc. that were projected on
the screens. But we also cried
remembering John Lennon and George
Harrison. When I listen to music, my heart
is usually deeply touched that someone
got up there in the first place (it's hard to do that!), and that someone is trying to communicate
deep emotions with the audience. When I am performing, it's sort of the opposite, but onceremoved,
as the performer needs to keep his or her "cool". As my voice teacher once said "it's
not your job to cry. It's your job to make the audience cry.”
As an expat, I have become very patriotic! So doing my solo concerts of American music is
something I enjoy doing - I raised over 2,300 CHF at the last one, which I donated to my Club/
Church charities.
Pieces of music I recommend/
love
My recommended music would
probably change daily, but today
it would be:
Mozart's C Minor Mass.
Sondheim's Company.
Eric Whitacre's “Sleep.”
Purcell's “Hear my Cry Oh
Lord.”
Cold Swindell's “Break up in
the End” - I am a huge
Country fan!
68

GETTING TO KNOW ELEANOR
Tell us something interesting about yourself
that not many people know. I am an avid and
competitive bridge player, and I read the
tarot cards.
If you could perform with one musician, who
would it be and what music would you like to
play? Mozart, obviously. I would love to sing
arias from The Marriage of Figaro, Cosi fan
Tutti, and Idomeneo with him accompanying.
The most unusual place I have performed or
listened to music was… I guess I have
performed in only conventional concert halls,
but one of the most interesting was the Santa
Fe Opera, which is an open-air theatre in the
desert of New Mexico, and the sunset is visible
through the back of the theatre. Another
would be Theatre an der Wien, in Vienna,
where Mozart conducted.
What are some of the things you would love to
get better at and things you would like to stop
doing? I would like to get better at keeping
my house clean! I would like to stop obsessing
over my schedule.
“If you copy, it means
that you work without any
real feeling. No two
people are alike, and it’s
got to be that way with
music, or it isn’t music.”
– BILLIE HOLIDAY
69

Inspiring You
Founded in 1931, FAWCO is a global women’s NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), an
international network of independent volunteer clubs and associations comprising 62
member clubs in 31 countries worldwide, with a total membership of around 10,000. FAWCO
serves as a resource and a voice for its members; seeks to improve the lives of women and
girls worldwide, especially in the areas of human rights, health, education and the
environment; advocates for the rights of US citizens overseas; and contributes to the global
community through its Global Issues Teams and The FAWCO Foundation, which provides
development grants and education awards. Since 1997, FAWCO has held special
consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.
OUR MISSION STATEMENT
FAWCO is an international federation of independent organizations whose mission is
• to build strong support networks for its American and international membership;
• to improve the lives of women and girls worldwide;
• to advocate for the rights of US citizens overseas; and
• to mobilize the skills of its membership in support of global initiatives for education, the
environment, health and human rights.
MAGAZINE FEEDBACK
We want this magazine to be interesting for all FAWCO members. In an
effort to provide articles of interest to all of our readers, we have created
an online feedback questionnaire. It should only take a few minutes of your
time to complete and will be a great help to us!
Please click on the link or paste it into your browser
to complete the survey.
https://s.surveyplanet.com/CEvBvdX_Ft
Thanks very much indeed!
ADVERTISING DISCLAIMER
FAWCO receives financial remuneration for page space from advertisers. Views expressed or
benefits described in any display advertisement, advertorial or in any webpage visited online
directly from these adverts, are not endorsed by FAWCO.
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More About This Issue
For more information about this magazine, please contact Inspiring Women Editor in
Chief Liz MacNiven at inspiringwomen.editor@fawco.org
For more information on how to advertise in this magazine, please contact FAWCO
Advertising and Sponsorship Manager Elsie Bose at advertising@fawco.org
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Thanks to Anita, Arnita, Beverly, Carol, Christine, Eleanor, Gwen, Katie, Kay, Krissy,
Margaret, Marianne, Mieke, Paulette, Rick, both Robins and the ladies of AWC
Gothenburg for taking the time to participate in this edition and for the use of their
photos and those of their friends and family. Thanks to Jane for her letter.
Special thanks to the proofreading team of Karen Boeker (AWC Denmark), Sallie
Chaballier (AAWE Paris), Laurie Brooks (AWC Amsterdam/AWC The Hague), Janet
Davis (AIWC Cologne), Mary Dobrian (AIWC Cologne), Cynthia Lehman (AIWC
Cologne), Carol-Lyn McKelvey (AIWC Cologne/FAUSA) Mary Stewart Burgher (AWC
Denmark) and Jenny Taylor (AIWC Cologne and Düsseldorf).
The Inspiring Women Team at the FAWCO 2018 IM in The Hague
Copyright 2018 FAWCO
Inspiring Women© Magazine is owned and published electronically by FAWCO.
All rights reserved. All bylined articles are copyright of their respective authors as indicated herein and
are reproduced with their permission. The magazine or portions of it may not be reproduced in any form,
stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means-electronic, mechanical,
photocopy or otherwise without written consent of the publisher.
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Coming Next Spring!
Women who Persist, Part 2
"There is no limit to what we, as women,
can accomplish."
– Michelle Obama
Our spring issue will present the profiles of a second set of women from our clubs who are
walking the walk. Through their insistence and their persistence, they have set out to right
a wrong, elevate justice and make the case for a better human condition. Women’s
rights, children’s rights, poverty, hunger, health or the environment - there are challenges
everywhere we look. The difference is that these women did not look away.
We already have the candidates for this issue but we do need a fabulous cover photo.
The process is simple...we need :
Cover Page Image: This is a call to all our members who persist and make a change in
this world. Perhaps you are involved in a community, at home or far away from home?
Because you are so engaged in what you are convinced to be right and important, you
must have taken pictures of the places or the people you are involved with. Please send
me any picture you think could send a strong message to your fellow FAWCO members.
Thank you!
Photos need to be sent by March 28, 2019: Please send to Marie-Bénédicte Luxem,
inspiringwomen.cover@fawco.org. They must be PORTRAIT orientation (landscape photos
cannot be accepted), digital and color, 150-300 dpi quality and 5-10 MB max. and taken
by a FAWCO member with details of where and when the photo was taken. (N.B.
Accreditation will be given for photos used but no payment is possible.)
REMEMBER ALSO: We offer great rates for FAWCO club members wishing to advertise in
the magazine. Contact Elsie Bose: advertising@fawco.org
Thanks to the Official Premier Sponsor of
Inspiring Women:
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