Bio

Lyric’lee,born in 1980, raised on the south-side of Chicago, grew up in a house of music. From the early of 4 she has been involved in some form of music, at the age of 9 she took up studying the flute. In the face of adversity, being told by her grade school band teacher she would never be good due to the size of her lips, she took off running. Lyric’lee received many awards and successes during High School involved in not only music, but sports, leadership programs, and The National Honors Society. Lyric’lee played in the performing Concert Band as first chair starting her sophomore year, was a part of the award winning TR Jazz Band and combo picking up the saxophone sophomore year and becoming proficient, and was active in the Suburban Youth Symphony sitting Principal Chair her senior year and alternate for the CYSO. One the city and state level Lyric’lee attended SICA, District and All-State Ensembles performing in the Honors Orchestra and Advanced Wind Ensembles on both flute and piccolo. On the National Level, she had the opportunity to travel with Great Lakes Band Camp and was selected to perform with The John Philip Sousa Band National Honors Band representing Illinois. During High School is when Lyric’lee also began to write poetry and discover her gift for music composition and arranging. Lyric’lee received a scholarship to Michigan State University for Flute Performance to study with Richard Sherman, while there she played with the MSU Wind Symphony and assisted in individual student and professorial projects on her flute. She also became very active with the MSU Jazz Program directed by Rodney Whitaker of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra participating in Big Band and Octet ensembles playing Tenor Saxophone and Flute. It is there that she had the opportunity to meet and learn from Jazz Greats like; Wynton Marsalis Ron Blake, Wycliffe Gordon, Wessell “Warm Daddy” Anderson, Andrew Speight, Walter Blanding, and Victor Goings to name a few. During college is when Lyric’lee became aware of a profession called Music Therapy, established in 1944, that used music in therapy and as therapy to assist in effecting and altering individual’s lives for the better. For more information on Music Therapy please visit www.musictherapy.org. With her great love and affection for people, and talent for music, she decided to double major. Graduating, completing the requirements for her Music Therapy degree, Lyric’lee took a two year sabbatical from music performance and focused on writing, stock piling lyrics that address social issues not traditionally talked about by the mass majority of hip hip/pop music on the radio. Lyric’lee began working as a Board Certified Music Therapist and was offered a chance to return to school for her Master’s Degree as a teaching Assistant in 05’. While working on her masters she’s have the privilege to study with Sunny Wilkinson, internationally known Vocal Jazz Artist and Professor at MSU to continue to grow vocally. Lyric’lee continues to work as a Board Certified Music Therapist at the local Hospital and Home Healthcare Corporation while she complete her masters in 07’ and has gotten back into playing and expressing her lyrical opinions and collaborating with numerous gifted and talented local musicians. Instruments that she plays include and are not limited to; Flute, Saxophone (Tenor and Soprano), Guitar, and Piano Loved Artists/Influential artists at a glance: Erika Badu, India Arie, Jill Scott, Lauryn Hill, Fugees, Common, Twister, Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, Mary J Blige, EnVogue, TLC, Boyz II Men, Shai, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton, Musique Soulchild, Sarah Vaughn, Betty Roche’, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Ron Carter, Clifford Brown, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and so many more!!!!!! (To many names to little room)[link="http:www.lyriclee.com