Marnie grew up in Eastern Arizona, in the small town of Eagar, AZ.  She started playing the piano at 6 years old. She also plays the trumpet and sings. She was a dancer, band and show choir member during high school, as well as playing the piano for musicals.In addition, she took voice and piano lessons from Mr. Weinzinger from NAU. She learned Japanese while living in Japan from 1991-1993, and then attended college at BYU-Hawaii, where she sang in choir and performed nightly at the Polynesian Culture Center in a Brass band playing the E flat alto horn. Highlights and accomplishments from her time in Hawaii include playing in a brass band that played for President George H. W. Bush, playing the piano for several musicals during college, and traveling to Tonga in 1991 as an accompanist for a Tongan Choir, and meeting her husband.

After coming to Sierra Vista, Marnie devoted her time to staying home to raise her five children. She became involved in the PTO and whatever her children were doing.  All five of her children were involved with  Buena bands and four sang in Buena choirs. In 2010, she began serving as an accompanist for the Buena choirs, until becoming Choir Director in 2021. She teaches beginning choirs, Buena Singers and Men’s chorus, as well as all advanced choirs: Dynamix, Concert Choir Rhythmix.