Collaborations

One of my early composition collaborations was with the Creative Arts Pastor, Laurey Berteig, a skilled composer from my church. He was known for arranging classic hymns to give them a more contemporary sound. I had just received a booklet of handwritten original hymns that my dad wrote in the 1950’s. I pulled out three of these hymns and asked our Pastor to arrange them with a contemporary sound.

I also asked him to arrange it with a vocal part, a cello part, and piano accompaniment. He renamed the three hymns together, Cycle of Hymns. Upon completion, we were able to present it to the congregation for an offertory. I sang the vocal part; my sister, Pam Bell, played the cello part; and Donna Bender played the piano accompaniment.

The power and range of music is broad and spans the generations. Our pastor was able to arrange music from my family legacy; thus, leaving a legacy for those after me. But the power of music does not stop there.

A more serious musical collaboration I had was to spend time with my friend who was at Evergreen Hospice center. We were both part of a small group at our church. My dear friend who was only 50, received word that the breast cancer had returned to her liver. She opted to not take any more treatment.  While she was in hospice care I was able to bring music to her a few days before she passed.

Using these two hymnals my brother and I were able to sing some of my mom’s favorite hymns to her in her final days as well.

Another type of musical collaboration is the development of a liturgy for a worship time at the beginning of a small group gathering. Last year for the group called The Gathering, I collaborated with Debbie Leeding who is a gifted reader/reciter.  She read the liturgy readings and I sang the music many times acapella.

This section of the website showcases the direct results of my collaborating with other groups and people. The names of those collaborations are listed below:

Group Music Collaborations:

• Adult music ministry small group sets

• Bellevue College acoustic concerts

• Church Liturgy Music

• Humanitarian music work in Japan after the tsunami and earthquake in 2011

• LWSO Christmas Concert at Bastyr University December 2022

• Music Recital work

• NW Mahler festival work

• Prayer team worship sets

• Senior Community music presentations

• The Gathering worship music for women at church

• Vashon Island Chorale member

• Wheaton College Alumni Choir

• Worship Team

Individual People Music Collaborations:

• Aki Fujino

• Bev Bothel

• Jennifer Streeter

• John Wells

• Pam Bell