Cheryl Anne Roach

As of this month, I am officially calling myself retired.  What does retired mean to a musician and music educator?  For me, it means that I still sing, play the piano and my harpsichord, but mostly for my own pleasure.  I am active in the music program at my church, Riviera United Methodist in Redondo Beach, CA, which includes solos, duets, the choir, and sometimes even subbing on the organ (but no feet!).  I am open to giving vocal lessons on a very short term basis, if someone needs a quick fix to…

Life is a gift, and I am grateful for so many things and so many people who bless my life.  Growing up in Texas, I never imagined living close to the ocean.  But, here I am and here I have been most of my adult life.  This year had a few bumps in the road, but pretty soon Alan and I will be ready to rock and roll again.  He had both hips replaced, I had a knee replacement, more glaucoma surgeries, and arthroscopic surgery on my other knee.  I can’t wait to get back to my soul-feeding walks on the strand…

I'm giving up on promising to write more often.  If any of you want me to start tweeting, let me know.  I'm content with updating my news once a year, I guess.  Time really does fly.  Every day is an adventure and a gift.  There is still a lot of singing in my life, just no full length solo recitals.  What has changed for me is that I am returning to my keyboard roots, spending time every day (or almost every day, let's be honest), playing the piano and harpsichord.  The piano is a Steinway grand that my…

While not much happened professionally in 2011 and 2012, a lot happened personally. Last year, and the first part of this year was a rough year. First, I was diagnosed with breast cancer, but thankfully it was caught early and I am doing fine. Then, my father moved from Dallas to be near me in Hermosa Beach, in an assisted living facility 5 minutes from my home. We hoped we would have some good times together, but his life quickly consisted of only going to the doctor and hospital. He put himself…

Again--a year! Obviously, I am way too busy to be writing often. :) Or, at least, I wait until I have something to say. This time I do--lots of exciting things coming up. First, a new cd!!!!!! It will be coming out in mid-September. It's called "morning star" and it's by a new group, morning star. The members of the group are, of course, me, plus my friends Dawn Brooks and Cory Johnson. We were joined by some other musicians, notably the incredibly talented string player of all kinds of guitar…

Twittering and blogging are obviously not for me--it's been a whole year and I'm just now writing again! I've done a lot of singing and playing the piano and am enjoying the pleasure of practicing just for the fun of making music. It's nice to have the time to do that. Too often in the past the heavy performance schedule made all music-making goal oriented. On the travel front, Alan and I went to the Yorkshire Dales this past March, which was wonderful! Lots of walking and exploring little villages…

It's been way too long since I shared any news here. Life just seems to whiz by sometimes--not nearly enough savoring. The year held some wonderful and memorable musical moments--getting to perform my sacred song recital at my church, Riviera Methodist last fall was very meaningful. Playing a recital for my good friend Dan Wilson was also very special. I went to Santa Barbara in February for a mini-reprise of my Santa Barbara tour a couple of years ago. Now, it's almost summer again! But, before…

The summer, is just that, the summer. Lots of little singing engagements here and there, but nothing big enough to send up a flag. If something comes up, I'll let everybody know. Until then, it's just hangin' in Hermosa Beach.

This fall I will be performing my sacred song recital at my own church, Riviera United Methodist, in Redondo Beach. My last solo concert there was in the summer of 2000, so I am really looking forward to this concert. I will also be leading the music on a women's retreat, and a special hymn sing on December 1. The fall is always a busy, exciting time, so check back soon for other dates we can meet musically.

The recital at Grace Presbyterian in Long Beach in February was a wonderful experience with Curtis Heard at the piano! It was also really fun closing the concert with a set of gospel songs, accompanying myself on the piano. Other concerts are in the planning stages. Stay tuned--you will be the first (well, the second, after me) to know.