Profession: Owner of Sweet Paint and Design; photographer

Why did you join GCS? My uncle talked me into it. In my work, I spend a lot of time working with blue collar people and talking gutter talk -- I needed something a little loftier in my life.

Favorite pieces you’ve sung? The Mozart Requiem, the Brahms German Requiem -- that was incredible. I like the big old pieces.

Why do you sing? My mother used to say that when I was in her womb, I would always stop moving when she played piano; I would relax inside her. It’s always been an important part of my life. Just makes me feel good. When we sang in the Vatican, that was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I’m not even particularly religious, but when we sang “Ubi Caritas,” so beautiful and simple, I got goosebumps over my entire body. It was just amazing! You just can’t replicate that. Ever. I don’t have a classically trained background and I didn’t grow up in a musical family. So in chorus I feel like a total fish out of water with people from all walks of life that I would never, ever meet, except to maybe paint their homes. And we sing together. It’s wonderful. I feel so blessed.

Hobbies? Bicycling and travel. Usually the bicycling and travel go together. We generally do 50-75 miles a day. In Morocco I bicycled with a touring company, mostly Brits, and since then we’ve had two reunions in France. We have another one coming up in May in Italy. And 5 of us from the Morocco trip did Chile and Argentina. I biked last summer in the Finger Lakes because we couldn’t go anywhere, but I’ve biked in Vietnam, France, Mexico, Canada, and Bali. I go to Bali every other year, and there’s one hill I’d try every time I’d go. It took me 10 years to finally ride up it.

Something quirky? When I was at Buxton School in Williamstown, I had a singing bud, and we were both as skinny as rails. This was when overalls were in style, baggy farmer overalls, and one night the two of us stuffed ourselves in the same pair of overalls and went around the dorm singing. Not classical.