My membership and participation in NW Harmony Chorus has been a wonderful and enlightening 20+ years!!! I have assisted 3 very different Directors: Kathy Scheel, Nancy Kurth and, most recently, Melanie McGuire. All 3 have offered me opportunities to learn & grow. They have nurtured and mentored me through the entire 20 years. I continue to serve NW Harmony as the Bass Section Leader.

I’ve been folksinging since I was 12 yrs old doing solo and trio gigs with my two brothers. We had visions of being the next Peter, Paul & Mary! We four Hillyer kids even formed a quartet, but after only 1 summer we realized our musical dreams were not along the same trajectories. I received a Bachelor Degree in Secondary Music Education from Southern Oregon. Soon after graduation, I toured out of NY City for three seasons with the Robert DeCormier Folksingers, performing all around the USA and southern Canada. I taught Elementary and Jr High Music full time for 2 yrs and substitute taught off/on for 10 years.

By the time I came to Sweet Adelines in 2002, I had 30+ years of singing in SATB choirs in Oregon and Germany. I have been in two, notable Acapella quartets: Sound Collage and my current comedy group, Up To Something. The former never hit the top 10, and the latter has won Audience Choice for Most Entertaining 3 out of 5 years.

Other interests include ushering for 2 orchestras in Portland and I have season tickets for the Oregon Symphony and 2 theater companies. I taught CPR & 1st Aid for the American Red Cross for over 20 years. I worked for our government: Fed’s, State of Oregon and City of Portland for almost 30 yrs. I still play and teach contract Bridge and usually have immediate access to a crossword puzzle or a word game. I love to go camping, sleeping in my car, or a friend’s motor-home or a borrowed trailer. I am often found playing the guitar and leading a sing-along around a campfire during the summer months somewhere in Oregon or Washington. I love to travel abroad and throughout this continent: coast to coast, Mexico to Canada, Hawaii & Alaska.

I have had some medical challenges, ultimately resulting in a leg amputation. But I decided at 15 that neither Cancer nor any other obstacle would prevent me from doing the things I love. I decided then, to live hard and fast in order to out-run death. I haven’t slowed down yet! It’s been a wild ride and I’ve “paid my dues!” Now, I look forward to being surrounded by like-minded people with a positive outlook and similar interests for the rest of my life.