One of Rachel’s earliest memories is that of her mother, (a very talented musician herself) playing Mozart and Beethoven on the piano for Rachel as she lay upstairs in bed drifting off to sleep. This instilled in her the desire to immerse herself in the art of music making and so she began to hone her skills at quite a young age. After early training on piano, guitar and violin, she launched into performing with youth orchestras, and for the Grossmont College Symphonia, which invited her to join them when she was just 12, and then on to her high school orchestra at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. She continued performing all throughout her college career, furthering her passion for classical violin and viola as a member of various college symphonies and chamber groups.
As a serious devotee of the musical expression she moved beyond the classics and started to develop a keen interest in Irish, Eastern European, Klezmer and the broader “folk” genres of music, which eventually took her to the pubs and folk clubs of San Diego. Here she found voice for her inner gypsy, listened, absorbed, and then started performing with many exciting musicians, including San Diego’s own violin virtuoso, Chris Vitas, the eclectic Celtic/jazz group known as Raggle Taggle, the eastern European and Flamenco influenced, Electrocarpathians, and new age composer Kevin Keller.
Meanwhile, Rachel pursued her degree in education, from UC Berkeley, to UC Irvine and on to various institutions of higher learning in San Diego. Concurrent with her educational endeavors, she managed to find the time to support herself by working full time at various retail music stores and a variety of oddly interesting jobs, raise her adored dogs, participate in Renaissance Fairs, take dance lessons, baby-sit for friends, and host wildly entertaining musical extravaganzas at her home.
In 1991, during one evening’s romp with a girlfriend to The Camelot Inn, Rachel wowed the crowd that gathered in the lobby by whipping out her violin and playing a Mozart violin concerto. It was obvious from that moment there was only one thing for the house band to do, and that was to bring her up onstage as a Friday night regular. It was there, amidst the pints and the punters, submerged in a haven of musical experimentation, and the varied struggles of the entertainers’ life that the friendship and creative connection between Rachel and Theresa was born.
Rachel continues to delight and inspire with her music, and now holding a Bachelor’s degree in English, and a Master’s degree in Education, she is involved in the enrichment and education of our youth. She has spent many years teaching music at all levels to children, and currently teaches 7th grade curriculum at a private school in Encinitas, CA. where she was awarded the City’s honor for “Teacher of the Year” in June, 2007.