About me

I've been playing banjo since I was 10 years old. Started playing piano at 5, as soon as my hands could reach an octave, but when I heard a banjo in church, I knew that's what I was supposed to play. The banjo is an old friend who has been with me through thick and thin.

I grew up out in the country, pickin' music, running through the woods and creek, with parents who raised me to rely on the Lord, be strong, and make do.

Early on, I knew that the banjo could do a lot more than just bluegrass and country. As a kid, I'd often turn the radio to a rock or soul/funk station and pick along!

I earned a full scholarship to UGA from my Dad's employer. I made lifelong friends and pickin' buddies there (still together, called Hired Hands), and also found a chance to spread my musical wings, regularly sitting in with a Southern-rock band (my cousin Ronald Yonce was the drummer) at Daddy's Dollar in Athens and also joining a new-wave group called Big Suntan, which disbanded before I could really get settled in. I dearly love to sit in with different groups - rock, soul/funk, country, etc. - so if you need some banjo, holler!

After graduating from UGA (bachelor of arts in journalism and a music minor), I worked at newspapers across Georgia, then went into teaching, earning  my master's (in instructional technology), specialist, and doctorate (in K-12 curriculum and instruction). I taught language arts at Rehoboth Road Middle School in Spalding County, GA for 22 years, retired, and now play banjo full-time!

While banjo is by far my main instrument, I also play some upright bass (would love to play with another performer or small group from time to time), guitar, and mandolin.

Thanks to my husband, Wayne, who is always by my side.

Thanks to Jenny and Teddy Meeks (my cousins by marriage) for having me at their beautiful Wild Daisy Farm. I agreed to play solo for their Lavender and Lilies Harvest Festival in June 2022, and Jenny suggested that I bring my electric banjo so it could be heard out into the lavender fields - which started the whole Wiredbanjo thing. The response to my solo electric banjo music, especially my originals, was so great that I ordered business cards when I got home.

Since then, I've been blessed and thankful to have a steady stream of pretty incredible jobs, including opening a Macon rock concert, performing with symphony players in Rhapsody in Bluegrass at Perry UMC, and being part of Cotton Patch Gospel at Gordon State College. Doors have opened at places that I have wanted to play for years, like the Bluebirds & Bluegrass Festival at Dauset Trails, where I have gotten to play with my hero Little Roy Lewis and have opened for The Kody Norris Show, and The Cotton Fair on the beautiful Longleaf grounds. After attending Skydog in Macon for the past several years, I got to play onstage for Skydog 77 (I was told that I was the first ever to play banjo onstage and was one of two woman performers for the year). I've also had the chance to do some session work at Muscadine Studios in Macon and have  had a ball playing at all sorts of events/venues (see my calendars). Plus, I continue to play with my UGA brothers @hiredhandsmusic and with other great friends.

Since going solo, I've upgraded to a Fishman SA 330x that puts out enough sound for just about any venue, even outdoors, and added a Fishman Loudbox Mini and also a Loudbox Micro for smaller jobs. And, my prototype B Customs electric banjo (custom-built by Danny Boyles Guitar in Jackson) is getting quite the workout! Of course, I also play acoustic.

In addition to my solo work, I have played with regional bands for years. As a kid, I played some with my Uncle Doug Yonce's band up around the Gainesville, GA,  area. Since my years at UGA, I have played with the Atlanta-based Hired Hands (@hiredhandsmusic on YouTube and Instagram). At present, I also play electric banjo and guitar with three Central Georgia bands, whose members are longtime friends of mine: Kirkland & Friends (country and country-rock), Slim Pickins Combo (Western swing/country), and My Way or the Highway (classic country).

I dearly love being part of productions and have played banjo in Cotton Patch Gospel at the University of Georgia and Gordon State College, with symphony players in Rhapsody in Bluegrass at Perry United Methodist Church, and with the West Georgia Choral Society.

I have also played with Paul Pitts and the Porch Pickers (with a lineup that often included master fiddlers Jack Weeks and James Bryan, plus jamming with Norman and Nancy Blake) in Rome, GA, and for more than a decade with Bonnie Ridge Bluegrass in Griffin, GA. In recent years, I have played with Macon-based JT and the You Know Who's  (rock and country) and Grateful Druids (Irish music). 

I'm very blessed and thankful. If you need some banjo, just holler!