1.From when you started to love music and why?

Well, I have always known since I was a small child that I had a passion to sing and I loved music. When I was in elementary school the school decided to put on a big talent show and I entered the contest! I dressed up in a cute little dress and used some fun props and performed the song “My Favorite Things” from the movie The Sound Of Music. I ended up winning the whole talent contest and that really boosted my self-esteem! I was a shy little girl at the time and did not have much self confidence so winning the contest really meant so much to me. In middle and high school I was in the choir, and in my early years of college I did some musical theatre and even got some small leads, but it wasnt until I moved to Florida at the age of twenty one that I really decided to pursue music with my whole heart. In Florida I started singing as a praise and worship leader at a church called Living Word Fellowship Church and that is when God really revealed to me that my calling was to sing. The church music leader gave me solos every week and I started seriously training with many voice teachers at that time as well, so that is when I really started to grow as a singer and an artist! Around the age of twenty three is when my songwriting journey began and the Lord started putting original songs in my heart to write and record. In 1998 I recorded my very first original song titled “Flowers In My Garden” with a music producer named Tim Jack! Since then I have written and recorded over twenty original songs, and in 2008 I released my original thirteen song debut album "Beautiful Flower of Life."

2.Was it your aim in life?
Well, I feel that I am already making a difference in some small way with my music in the world now. I am passionate about creating music that touches the lives of others and brings them hope. I love inspiring and uplifting people to love, to hope and to dream big. I am heartbroken when people that are different are treated badly and unfairly so it is my mission to spread the love and grace of God to the world and to make people feel that they are important and special no matter if they are different or not! Just recently God touched my heart to create a “Walk For Love” event here in Florida. I want to organize this “Walk For Love” event to bring all different types of people together to spread love, hope and grace regardless of their religious background, economic status, race, sexual orientation, etc… We all need to feel like we are special and loved just for who we are. I am also in the middle of working on a new song for my album titled “We All Want To Be Loved” that will also be the theme song for my “Walk For Love” event. Love is so needed in the world today because there are so many people hurting and who feel rejected and alone, and I want people to know they are loved. Love Never Fails!

3.Do you feel good with this and why?
I am beyond happy! When my debut album Beautiful Flower of Life was finally released in 2008. I worked really hard on the development of the album. The writing and recording of each one of my original songs was a long process that took several years to complete. In that time period, not only was I training with many different voice teachers, but I was also learning proper recording technique with many different music producers and growing in my songwriting ability. So, I think that is why God had the process take so long! He knew that I needed the proper tools and training to make my debut album the very best. Most of the songs that I have written have been out of my own personal pain and life experiences, or I have been inspired by the lives of others who have touched my heart so deeply that I just had to write a song to express my feelings about it. I am also deeply inspired by God’s beautiful nature, color, love, joy and hope and you will definitely hear that when you listen to each one of my songs. I have to say that my favorite song on my album Beautiful Flower of Life is “Make Me A Butterfly” and that seems to be everybody else’s favorite song of mine too! “Make Me A Butterfly” is not only my favorite song to perform live, but lyrically it is very touching and universally understood by all who listen to it! I wrote the song to bring hope in the midst of a painful situation, and to uplift anyone who is hurting or just needs some inspiration. Since the release of my album thousands of people from all over the world have written me to say how much “Make Me A Butterfly” and so many of my other songs on my album have made such a difference in their lives. When I create a song, it comes from a very deep and honest place in my heart and I want others to be able to relate to the song in a deep way as well! I want my heart to connect with their hearts through the honesty and beauty of my songs!

4.About your social service. Why do you like to serve people and do you like it? I know from your biography that you are a great humanist. You care for people and care for their hearts. You sing for them, hospitals,fans, friends and strangers.
Over the last 18 years I have traveled to many children's hospitals, organizations, and helped with many children's orphanages. I am an inspirational singer who travels to these places to touch the hearts of the children with my 2 special original children's songs God's Special Angel and God's Little Light. On every trip I also pass out gifts for each child as well as special crafts for the children to make!! Some of the places I have traveled to encourage the children are Misercordia Children's Home, in Chicago, Illinois, Shriner's Children's Burn Hospital in Galveston, Texas, Shriner's Childrens Hospital in Tampa, Florida, Light House School of the Blind, Ann Stork Center, God's Little Acres for seriously ill children, and many more. It is my dream to have enough funds to travel to His Saving Grace Orphanage in Uganda to meet Angel and the rest of the children in the orphanage. I have a dream to travel and bless the children in orphanages in Israel and Italy as well as other orphanages here in America and other areas of the world. I also have a big heart for those with eating disorders and for children with the rare skin disease Epidermolysis Bullosa also known as EB. For more information on EB go to www.debra.org.