Donna was born and raised in New Jersey within easy reach of Manhattan and all the numerous cultural experiences New York City has to offer. Donna’s father played the violin rather well; her mother often took her into the city for musical events. Donna began piano lessons at age 8 and continued with her instruction until college. While she would have loved to teach music, she’s not a singer, and chose to become an elementary classroom teacher instead. After spending a total of 17 years teaching in Cleveland then Las Vegas (the Clark County School District), Donna became a curriculum specialist. In 1997, she earned a doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She spent the last decade of her career serving as an elementary principal.
Throughout her 34-year career, Donna sought opportunities to integrate piano playing into her activities with children. There was always an unused piano somewhere in each school! Upon her retirement, Donna moved to Fort Collins in 2011 and once again became a piano student. Having only read music in her younger days, Donna is currently learning to play by ear and is studying improvisation/arranging with Ryan Marvel.
With fitness being a priority, Donna is a regular at the Fort Collins Club where she does yoga, Pilates, and swims. She is also a Poudre Wilderness Volunteer and can be seen hiking throughout the year on our beautiful Colorado trails.
Happily relocated in Fort Collins, Donna lives with her partner, Jud, who is of great support to her as she continues her musical journey. They are season ticket holders for the Fort Collins Symphony. Donna’s brother, Charlie, lives nearby, is also happy to listen to her current music projects, and keeps an eye on his little sister in general!
