Born and raised in Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley, she vocally trained for eight years, performing in musical theatre in Washington, D.C., New York, and California, and doing demos and jingles for various studios. She eventually ended up in Nashville, and after joining the United Daughters of the Confederacy, she realized the need to record songs from this time period. It is her intent to preserve the songs of the Civil War era in the hope that they are remembered and treasured.