I did not realize what a wonderful musician I was about to meet when I walked up Alice's driveway. I had been impressed by her attractive website, but a website may not convey a person's vitality and love for music.

Alice was born into a pastor's family, and her mother taught her music from the time she can remember. As early as junior high school, she played piano in her father's church. Later, she studied organ in college, earning a double major: one in computer science and one in music. To balance her work as a software engineer, she learned to play the harp. With the arrival of her children, she quit her day job and concentrated on her music, playing for private and corporate events. "I don't miss my job at all," she told me. "I love the music and did not know you could have so much fun at a job. A wedding is beautiful, it is such a joyful occasion, and I am happy I can be part of it."

Growing up watching the ceremonies her father performed inspired her to be creative and to individualize each wedding. I learned what she meant by "individualize" when she played for me on the keyboard.
"I design the music to match what is going on in the processional; I can create variations for the parents, the bridesmaids, and the flower girl. In the same way I can arrange a medley of songs with a different tune for each member of the wedding party."

Her hands flew over the keyboard with such an ease as I listened to the tunes she had created. Beautiful notes fell like pearls from the instrument telling a story, comparable to Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf. She started playing a traditional trumpet piece and transitioned it to a contemporary one. She modified the Bridal Chorus and integrated music from O, a piece from the Cirque de Soleil, for which no sheet music is available. Later, Alice told me that she even incorporated segments of a computer game into the ceremony music because the couple liked it so much. Alice ended her performance with harp music she had composed herself. Hiring her to play the harp is the most expensive choice. However, if you do so she will play the other instruments for no extra charge.