Jane Ripley

Jane Ripley has always been fascinated with music, and has come to appreciate its power to express the whole range of human feelings, and its ability to bring people together into community. In her years as a classroom music teacher, she came to understand that at the heart of all good teaching and learning are caring relationships. She came to realize, too, that her own spiritual journey was set on a path with music at its heart. After several years of teaching elementary school and having a private piano studio, with support of family and friends, Jane returned to university. She pursued a music degree with a concentration on voice and also completed a diploma in church music. Each semester, she made the Dean's Honour List and, at graduation, was awarded the Board of Governor's Gold Medal in Music. It was at the University of Windsor that she met Dara Zusko and Martin Köbele, who are also featured on this CD. Since graduation, Jane continues to teach piano, theory, and now voice, and to serve as director of music at a local church. In addition to the CD, Come to My Heart ... Touching the Spirit, she is currently working with Dr. Norman King, recently retired professor of spirituality and culture at the University of Windsor, on a collection of poetry, a series of children's stories, and a study of the spirituality of the music of the Underground Railroad.