Summer Letter 2026

Dear Students and Parents,

It has been almost two months since I left Texas and moved back to Wisconsin, the state where I was born. The drive north went very smoothly, although I took three days instead of my usual two. After staying up late cleaning the apartment one last time,  my friend Sue helped me take away the things that wouldn’t fit in my car. (Sue and her husband, Nick, purchased Melody’s Traditional Music in 2024.) I then left a little later than I had planned, so stopped near Texarkansas.

I left some of my belongings in a storage unit in Cypress and plan to return in October to retrieve them.

Shortly after arriving in West Allis (just west of Milwaukee), I came down with a sinus infection that lasted nearly a month. Thank you all for your patience and understanding while I was unable to teach during that time.

It has been wonderful to reconnect with my students online. I truly miss seeing you in person, but I’m grateful that we can continue making music together. Suki misses the in-person lessons too, although she’s happy that I now have a few local students here in the Milwaukee area.

If you scroll below, you’ll see some pictures.  Eagles on Lake Puckaway, a swan family in a marsh near Madison, my car loaded down on the trip, and more.

I honestly tried to find a neighborhood in northwest Houston where I wanted to buy a home, but nothing ever felt quite right. Since I had already purchased a small condo in West Allis in 2022, with the hope that John and I would spend our summers here, it eventually became clear this was the right place for now.

I miss all of you very much, but I am delighted that we can continue our lessons online.

I’m currently working on my website so you’ll be able to keep track of your progress, access helpful resources, and connect with other students.

I’m also considering offering one group lesson each month that focuses on scales, rhythm, and other fundamental musicianship skills. These topics may not always seem exciting, but they are the building blocks that help you learn music more quickly and confidently. As I work out the details, I may also be able to simplify my lesson fee structure, and it could even result in lower overall costs. I’ll let you know once everything is finalized.

One of the things I enjoy most about living here is being close to Lake Michigan, one of North America’s Great Lakes. Milwaukee sits right on its western shore, and Chicago is about 90 minutes to the south on the same lake.

The Great Lakes—Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario—border eight U.S. states and the Canadian province of Ontario. The bordering US states are Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York. Together they contain about 20% of the world’s surface fresh water. Lake Michigan is especially unique because it is the largest lake by surface area that lies entirely within the United States. It stretches approximately 307 miles from north to south and is about 118 miles across at its widest point—roughly the size of the state of West Virginia.

Although the Great Lakes are not oceans, the large amount of water can become just as treacherous during a storm, with gale force winds, up to 54 mph creating hazardous waves.

Thank you for continuing to be part of my musical family. Your encouragement and friendship have meant so much to me during this transition, and I look forward to making more music together.