My fascination with music began with a wind-up teddy bear that played Brahms' lullaby.  I admit that to this day I am transfixed by the silvery tinkling notes of any music box. Between my mother's classical records and my teenaged sisters' rock 'n' roll ones my musical ear was encouraged and educated; so I listened.

When I was about five, a family moved in a block away from us.  They had a piano!  Sometimes my mother would watch their kids and I would occupy myself with that piano.  I was hooked!

My formal music education began when I was about eleven years old.  I became, in one way and another, a lifelong student of Forrest Goodenough, a pianist of some renown in the Austin area.  By the time I came under his wing, my musical ear was well established so between lessons on Bach and Chopin Mr. Goodenough initiated me into the sweet progressions of such composers as Gershwin, Porter, and Mercer.  Meanwhile, my life's sound track of the Beatles, James Taylor, and Carol King played from an ever present transistor radio.  I always knew what I wanted to do long before my professional musical debut at the age of eighteen.

I played my way through college where I majored in piano and minored in voice.  I settled in Temple, Texas where I eventually became a music minister at St. Mary's Church.

From 1978 to the present, I have played in many venus ranging from restaurants and hotels to nursing homes and hospitals.  I have played for many community functions as well as for private parties.  I have also played in many different capacities for most (if not all) of the Catholic churches in the area for events ranging from Masses to Vacation Bible Schools to weddings.

It has been my honor to play for many weddings, memorials, and quensinieras as well as for funerals.  I have also taught children and youth both as a choir director in a Catholic high school and as a private piano teacher.

Scheduling permitting, I am always glad to take new students.  I provide piano and/or keyboard lessons for beginners through advanced students,ear training (how to listen and learn music without the use of written music), and musical consultation including help for college students taking such courses as music appreciation.  With my husband, Tom, guitar lessons are also available for beginner through advanced students.  piano tuning and repair is also available as well as some keyboard repair work.

For further information please feel free to contact Dee Brennan at (254) 771-2052.