Biographies

Teresa Baker—buoyant soprano from Caldwell, Idaho, has a B.A. from Brigham Young University and an M.A. in choral direction from San Jose State University. She lives with her husband, Haven, and their two sons, in Boston.

Pamela Polland—is one of the finest singers in American popular music. Phil Elwood, San Francisco Examiner music critic, called her “…the Bay Area’s finest jazz vocalist.” An American master, she has won many awards, including one from ASCAP and a gold record. Her credits make up a Who’s Who of top talent from all over the music spectrum. A master of many genres, she has performed and recorded with such stars as Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison, John Denver, Taj Mahal, Manhattan Transfer and others. She sang with Joe Cocker and Leon Russell in their Mad Dogs & Englishmen Tour, and appeared in the album and movie. Linda Ronstadt, Helen Reddy, The Byrds, Vicki Carr, Nancy Ames and Bobby Bare have all recorded her songs.

She has three albums on Columbia Records and Epic. In her latest album, The Heart of the World, she has sung with Bonnie Raitt, Kenny Loggins and Annie Stocking. She has performed in concert at such venues as the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and the Oakland Paramount Theater. She has sung four songs for SHE and one for the opera-musical comedy, Under the Moscow Moon. “Bright Shelters in the Rain” and “Cinderella with a Ph.D.,” both of which she sings in SHE, won awards at the American Song Festival. You will find song samples of her work in SHE and in the Musicals section. Her performances are remarkable for their intelligence, versatility and inventiveness. She has an astonishing ability to sing jazz and blues, and her devotion to the work of the great blues singer, Bessie Smith, has borne fruit in her out-of-this-world performance of "She Likes Antiques and Young Men" which is in the musical comedy, Under the Moscow Moon. Her performance has the same authority, power and inventive brilliance of Bessie Smith’s unforgettable “It’s a Long Old Road.” The Musicals page of this Website has a sample of “She Likes Antiques and Young Men.” We are privileged more than we can say to feature Pamela in SHE. She lives with her architect husband, Bill Ernst, in Hawaii.

-back to top-

Kirsten Clover with Earl Lord—They made history with this Smithsonian song collected by The National Museum of American History in April 2002.

Maestro Robert Berry—An American Master who guides his effervescent Soundtek Studios in Campbell, CA with brilliance, verve and versatility. A progressive rock singer, composer and lyricist, bandleader, arranger, engineer, and selfless person, he has found a new avenue for his voice in romantic classical pop with SHE’s “Blue Rose Blue.” In this song he summoned the voice of the great tenor, Charles Kullman, in Kullman's matchless performance of Gustav Mahler's song cycle Das Lied von der Erde conducted by Bruno Walter in 1936. Berry's and Kullman's voices meet especially in Mahler's jewel "Of Youth," the third song of this song cycle.

Berry's orchestral work was crucial in obtaining SHE’s award from the California State University — ERFA Foundation. Pat Moore once said, “Berry seldom if ever takes the credit that his talent deserves.” Berry has a magic touch that contributes immeasurably to Bay Area artistry. His Band 3 went to the top of the charts with “Talkin’ About” in To the Power of Three, featuring Berry, Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer. His albums include Back to Back, Pilgrimage to a Point, In These Eyes and Taking it Back. With Intern Girl he and Soundtek made the Smithsonian in April 2002. He lives in Los Gatos with his wife, daughter and son.

-back to top-

Barbara S. Lymberis—performs regularly in the Bay Area, in the Foothill Music Theatre, the Saratoga Drama Group, San Jose Stage Co., and Opera San Jose. She has sung in Rigoletto, My Fair Lady, Angry Housewives, Carousel and On the Town. She and her husband Nick have a cabaret act, “Songs in the Key of Love.” A highly intelligent, insightful mezzo soprano.

-back to top-

Mark Purcell—brilliant tenor equally at home in opera, country music, jazz and pop. He is one of the Bay Area’s finest singers. He sings country music as well as Tom T. Hall plays the guitar. Purcell directs the choir at St. Edward’s Catholic Church in Newark, and teaches vocal music at Las Positas College in Livermore.

-back to top-

Jim Heiner—Wonderful bass singer at home in all musical styles. He teaches voice at Las Positas College. His voice equals Otto Poel’s.

-back to top-

Georgann Gaines—Has sung in the Bay Area and Japan, and has a magical voice for pop and country. A great singer.

-back to top-

Joann Koobatian—Choir Director at Foothill High School in Pleasanton, CA. She sings with the Jazz Singers, and has a BA in music from San Jose State University. She lives in Livermore with her husband Richard and their young child.

-back to top-

Diane Milo—Graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a B.A. in French and Political Science, and with an MBA from Duquesne University. She is the Music Director for West Valley Light Opera Auditions, the Vocal Director for the Sunnyvale Community Players, Music Director for “Becoming Memories” at the Foothill College Drama Dept. Did a one-woman show, and performances for Los Altos’ Bus Barn Stage Co. and the Saratoga Drama Group. She sings jazz, rock, pop and cabaret.

-back to top-

Andrew Maldarelli—A music teacher, married, who lives in Beaverton, Oregon.

-back to top-

David Dumont—Graduate of the Boston Conservatory of Music, and piano specialist who, with Billye Erickson, founded the West Coast Steinway Society, purchasing a Steinway Model B to attract world-class pianists. They donated the Steinway to San Jose’s Petite Trianon Theatre. Dumont, one of America’s finest pianists, is the leader of the Little Big Band. He lives in San Jose, California.

-back to top-

Don Bosco—Graduate of San Jose State University who owns Harmony House’s music studio in Los Gatos. Music has been his world. He is a musical theater accompanist, arranger, studio engineer and choir director. He and his wife Jenelle have seen three children through college.

-back to top-

Milton Loventhal—Began his theatrical career by babysitting for Bertolt Brecht in Santa Monica. B.A. and M.L.S from U.C. Berkeley, with an M.A. in sociology from San Jose State University. Researcher in Soviet studies at Hoover Institution, librarian at San Diego Public Library, and librarian at San Jose State University where he spent many happy hours doing xeroxing, reading and gossip. In between times he provided excellent reference service and created numerous scholarly monographs. Superbly proficient in Soviet studies and musical works as book writer and lyricist, not to mention being a fine novelist, he is a great contributor to good causes. One of the wittiest and most productive people in the world, he is also one of the world's most eccentric. (Adopting 16 cats is eccentric, since as a social worker friend of his said, "When you've reached your sixth cat, you're ready for the State Hospital." Adopting these 16 cats was like carrying 16 tons.) He is listed in Who's Who in America. In 2004, California State University gave him an ERFA foundation grant for his supportive work on the SHE album. He has been assisted by his wife, Dr. Jennifer McDowell, in many though not all of his projects. The cats were not her idea, since as a biology minor she was only too aware cats knew their multiplication tables.

-back to top-

Dr. Jennifer McDowell—Owner with Milton Loventhal of Abbie & Dolley Records, Lipstick & Toy Balloons Pub. Co. BMI, and Merlin Press.

B.A. English, University of California at Berkeley
M.A. English, San Diego State University
M.L.S. Librarianship, University of California at Berkeley
Ph.D. Sociology, University of Oregon

Award-winning composer, lyricist, record producer, political sociology researcher in foreign policy, author, and editor. Musical works performed Off Off Broadway, in the Parade of American Music, and in the Bay Area. Edited Contemporary Women Poets, An Anthology of California Poets which was supported by the California Arts Council and received the Service to Poetry Award. Co-wrote Black Politics: A Study and Annotated Bibliography of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party which was included in the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in 1992 as part of Black History Month. Editor for two magazines: Open Cell, a Berkeley literary tabloid, and the University of California Graduate Journal. Writes for scholarly and popular magazines. Received AAUW doctoral dissertation grant and research award in Soviet studies. Awarded grant for SHE album and musical revue by California State University - ERFA Foundation, 2004. The Nobel Institute collected SHE on July 21, 2004 for their 2003 Peace Prize winner, Iranian human rights attorney, Shirin Ebadi, fighter for women, children and democracy. "Shirin" means sweet.

Profiled in The Gifts of Music along with Judy Collins, Julie Gold, Katie Couric, Whoopie Goldberg, Kurt Masur and Yo-Yo Ma. Listed with Senator Dianne Feinstein and Representative Patricia Schroeder as one of the seven most prominent persons in the Western United States. Lipstick & Toy Ballooons' 1998 Intern Girl was included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History in April 2002.

Bio appears in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in the West, Who's Who in Finance and Industry, Who's Who in Science and Engineering, and other reference sources. Has made TV and radio appearances, co-produced a radio show for U.C. Berkeley's KALX, was a child USO dancer at Ft. Bliss.

Early years: born in New Mexico, daughter of a Forest Ranger (University of Idaho) in the Gila National Forest and housewife mother (U.C. Berkeley graduate). At Chloride Ranger Station was introduced to Modest Mussorgsky's "Hut of Baba Yagga." At seven, in El Paso, Texas, caught the radiance of Beethoven's Sixth Symphony, fell in love with kids' songs in Texas and New Mexico, taking in such delights as "Five foot nine, eyes that shine, oh my God it's Frankenstein" and "We three kings of Orient are, tried to smoke a loaded cigar-boom!" Wanted desperately to be a composer at age seven, but first became a Baptist (dunked in a clean, white porcelain tub), clarinetist (black and silver Selmer), horseback rider, tennis and basketball player.

Rusk Elementary School in El Paso, Texas had music appreciation classes which included Beethoven's Sixth Symphony. In addition El Paso is home to Ft. Bliss where McDowell had a "Tour of Duty" as a USO dancer.

-Read Jennifer McDowell's C.V.-

-back to top-