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Melissa Vardey (Los Angeles, CA): She is an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer, arranger, producer, engineer, educator, and entertainer. Discography Albums: “Living in Divine Time” featuring Chaka Khan and endorsed by Quincy Jones, and ““Where The Truth Lies.” Award-Winning Songs: Platinum record “With Your Hand Upon My Heart” sung by Michael Crawford & Patti Labelle; “Why Should Christmas Be Only Once a Year” sung by Chaka Khan on the Columbia 1996 release Twelve Soulful Nights. Film: “A Day In The Life of London,” “The Class Struggle of Beverly Hills.” TV Themes: “The Good Life Guide” (London Weekend Television). Spoken Word: “Going For Great,” “SoundEmotion” Winner of Commercial of The Year for Gary Crowley Show, Capitol Radio London. Meditation Music: The Enlightenment Tape Documentaries (EMI/Music House Library) compositions licensed for use in nature films. All-In-One Music is dedicated to raising consciousness through music. It’s about spiritual activism and vibration healing, laughter, a commitment to protecting the environment, nurturing souls, and being of service. The All-In-One Music Catalog covers a range of styles from contemporary new age, jazz, ambient, to inspirational songs, R & B, hip-hop, cinematic, relaxation and meditation music. Please visit: www.all-in-one-music.com for music licensing, seminars, etc.
Michael J. Vaughn (Tacoma, WA): He is the author of Gabriella's Voice (Dead End Street Publications, 2001). His poetry has been published in more than forty journals, and has garnered awards from Plainsongs, the 2000 Austin International Poetry Festival, and the Emily Dickinson Poetry Competition. For day jobs, he is a literary columnist for the Tacoma News-Tribune and fiction editor for The Montserrat Review .
Laura Warfield (Fairfield, CT): A native New Yorker, she writes and co-writes songs, which range from folk/pop to country/blues, rock, and children's music, as the spirit moves her. She has been writing songs since the age of ten. Her topics are wide-ranging, from love rejected (Leave Your Love Behind) to love renewed (Get Closer), from what passes for the economy (Unemployment Line), women's issues (Lord Have Mercy), from the pitfalls of seeking the truth (Lost In Transit), to those of overcoming prejudice (Live In My World), and the possibilities of bringing peace to the world (New Millennium and Bronx to Baghdad). Her music -- with more than a touch of rueful humor, along with memorable melody, rhythm and rhyme -- also embodies many styles. Her independent releases on SamStar Music are On the Train, Rocket to the Moon, Lost in Transit, Heaven in My Mind, and a new 2008 release for children and families, Seasons and Other Reasons 2 Sing. “The music is unique in that it should appeal to both adults and children and grow with repeated listens. It's catchy and captivating.” - Sing-Out Magazine. Victory Review says, “It's the kind of music you play loud while driving in the car or doing the dishes.” Mary Travers, of Peter, Paul and Mary says, “There's good poetry in those lyrics.” In Connecticut, she has appeared at the Levitt Pavilion, Acoustic Cafe, Milford Performance Coffeehouse, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Roots Coffeehouse, Unity Church, Seven Angels Theatre, Stratford Library, Southbury Library, Westport Senior Center, Watermark, Sterling Glen, Ridgefield Crossing, etc. http://laurawarfield.net/bio.html
Isaac Watts (Deceased): For more information on the writer of the hymn "Joy to the World" visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Watts
Agnes Welly (Irvine, CA): She has taught piano since 1975, and she taught organ from 1976 until 1997. She received several Certificates from the Yamaha and Hammond Music Schools. She started studying piano when she was eight years old.
Beth Wernick (Santa Monica, CA): She is a professional voiceover actor and instructor based in Los Angeles. She has a wide range of voices and experience performing straight reads, characters, animation, motion capture, and several dialects. She runs an ADR/loop group, Lalapalooperz, which provides voice-casting services, and she has a home studio. Check out her reels at http://bethwernick.com/ She also runs a music licensing company http://www.imaginaryfriends.com/ and has secured many film and TV placements for independent artists.
Charles Wesley (Deceased): To learn more about the writer of the hymn "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and much more, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wesley
Rex West (Ventura, CA): His music career began in Ohio in 1942 at the age of twelve with a Father and Son act in Vaudeville and Burlesque. In 1956, he moved to Los Angeles and joined Local 47. Max Herman got him part-time work with Capital Records as he played many instruments. He got many calls from them and later Crown Records as well. He went to work at Cals Corral working for Cal Worthington, and then went to work at the Palomino Club in North Hollywood. He met many stars there. He then moved to Ventura, CA. He worked at the Ban Dar Club for many years for Johnny and Jonie Mosby of Capital Records. He went on the road with them doing Rodeos, where he met Casey Tibbs, World Champion Rodeo Man and friend for many years after. He wrote The Rodeo Kid and A Cowboys Riches to honor Casey . He then met Mike Newman who offered him the use of the recording studio in his home to record his songs. Mike introduced him to Albert Lees in Malibu, and Albert gave him lots of pointers about writing songs, and he really liked the songs he had written. His house was full of guitars and things from the Everly Brothers, with whom he had worked. Then Johnny and Jonie Mosby later had him perform solo at the Ban Dar. This opportunity gave him a one on one experience with the public that he enjoyed and helped him gather material for songs. He later worked in Lake Tahoe, CA playing mandolin for Hoyt Axton. He loved working with Sheb Wooley (Purple People Eater), who got him a job working for Roger Miller, a relative of Sheb's. When he retired in 1992, he became more serious about songwriting and sending songs to publishers and record producers. He has a three-year exclusive contract with Stevie Ray Hansen Music Group in Murrieta, CA for three of his songs. His songs “Mississippi Blues,” “Ghost Train,” and “The Heavenly RR Train” are on the Ride the Train CD on NBT Records, Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. He has sixteen other songs signed with The Heath Group LLP in Louisville, KY for Hillview and Estate Records International and MVT Productions.
Ken Wheeley (Deceased): He is the co-writer with Samuel Rock of "Empty Stockings" in My Christmas Fun Book Level Three.
Beverly White (London, Ontario, Canada): She began writing just after the birth of her children 18/20 years ago. She started by making up lullabies and singing them, later putting the words on paper. She has a large variety of rhymes, and short verses (approx. 150) for almost any occasion. She loves writing for children and has performed for Kindergarten and Grades 1-2. Two of her collaborations with Liz Axford, “Come Ride” and “Spider,” appear in My Halloween Fun Book. Two more, “Gingerbread,” and “Jingle, Jingle, Santa’s Coming!” appear in My Christmas Fun Book Level One.
Kimberly White (Mason, OH): She is originally from Endicott, NY, and now lives in Ohio. After years spent building a business with her husband, she took time off to raise their two daughters. At this point in her life, she put her immense love for children together with a lifelong passion for writing and started writing children's books.
Penny Towers Wilber (Plainfield, VT): She is a singer/songwriter living and performing in Vermont with a strong background in the performing arts. She studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City and at Robert O'Neil's Actors Workshop in London, England. She received a BA in Liberal Arts from Goddard College and spent four years touring the United States and Europe with the Two Penny Theater, working as a mime and actress. She was commissioned to write five comedy songs for actor director Donny Osman of Vermont for his original children's show on health called “Mission Nutrition.” This show was performed throughout New England at elementary schools and elsewhere. It was also televised on the show “Crossroads” on PBS. Penny performed with an improvisational comedy group in NYC called “Oddvark” with actor Paul Zaloom, star of the television show “Beakman's World.” Currently she performs throughout Vermont singing jazz and original songs with a small band called “Penny Arcade” and with other combinations of local musicians. She also conducts creative songwriting workshops at Oxbow public high school in Vermont. As a songwriter, Penny mainly writes adult contemporary, jazz, and comedy novelty songs. She currently has twenty songs on contract and two songs “Flying In The Sky” and “Forever Barely There” have been published and released on a Halloween album by Allegheny Music Works. Penny also goes by an alias “Victor R Vampire” who performs on the “Halloween Bash” album.
Justin Wilde (Mission Viejo, CA): He is the owner of two holiday song publishing companies, Christmas and Holiday Music (BMI) and Soundcastle Music (ASCAP) http://www.christmassongs.com/index_new.htm as well as the co-writer with Doug Konecky of the contemporary Christmas standard "It Must Have Been the Mistletoe."
Brandon Williams (Placerville, CA): He is a recent graduate of the University of California, Riverside. He writes a lot. Sometimes, he reads. When he does, it's usually the greats, which is probably why he often looks to be chewing on something not quite agreeable. He is a firm believer in down-home country music and is probably a strict constitutionalist. None of this matters if he can't take a good picture.
Debbie Williams (Waukegan, IL): She has a journalism degree from Northern Ill. Univ. and played clarinet in the marching band for 4 years. She also played in the Waukegan Municipal Band for 10 years under the direction of Bernard Stiner. She was a writer and editor of the St. Mary of Vernon Church Parish Post Newspaper for 6 years. Currently employed as a production planner for the Cardinal Health Glove Plants in Malaysia and Thailand, she finds joy and inspiration for her writing in her 4 nieces and nephews, Marial, Steven, Melinda, and Andy.
Kaley Willow (Montoursville, PA): She is a published ASCAP songwriter who lives in Central Pennsylvania with her husband, two kids, and big white dog. She began writing in the fall of 2000 and enjoys writing children's songs, along with contemporary Christian, country, folk, and adult contemporary. Her first CD, Andy & Friends (co-written with Wy Griffith) is under a publishing contract with Hannon-Hawkins Music, a division of Atlanta Music Group and a second CD is underway. Electric Empires, Inc., Los Angeles, CA, has animated some of her children's songs. Her song Dragonfly has been chosen by a Children's Cancer Foundation and will be used to help children face cancer Issues. She has developed a children's songwriting workshop called “Let's Make A Song” and is visiting schools, daycares, and children's centers. Her tune “The Goodnight Song” appears in The Music Box and Other Delights. http://kaleywillow.com/home.html
Pearl Mary Wilshaw (Center Moriches, NY): Her background includes teaching and librarianship. The Center Moriches Library, where she is reference librarian, subscribes to many literary journals. A member of the Academy of American Poets, Southern Poetry Association, SCBWI, and NYSUT, she has had hundreds of poems published by literary journals in the United States and abroad.
Sheryl Ann Winters (Crookston, MN): A member of SCBWI, she has been a legal assistant for her husband for twenty years. She has run a Bed & Breakfast for eight years, and has designed promotional brochures for her business. Her poem Courage was published in a greeting card by The Courage Center in Golden Valley, MN. She attends writers' conferences and takes piano lessons.
George Wyle (Deceased): He is the co-writer with Eddie Pola of the Christmas classic "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" in My Christmas Fun Book Level Four. He also wrote the theme song to the 1960s TV show Gilligan's Island with Sherwood Schwartz. More info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wyle
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