From her early childhood, Melissa demonstrated a gift for music, including a keen musical ear (being able to reproduce melodies she heard at an early age). She began playing the piano at age five and composing her own simple songs not long after. Melissa won first prize in several music festivals she entered as a child in British Columbia. She continued her musical studies with the Royal Conservatory of Music, later completing a Bachelor of Arts in Music Theory, History and Composition from the University of Lethbridge -- graduating with Great Distinction in 2002.
During the final year of her Bachelor of Arts degree, Melissa was actively preparing a portfolio for graduate studies in academic music at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. However, she abandoned this pursuit after what can only be described as a supernatural moment of hearing from the Lord. She heard Him clearly direct that she was not to pursue her doctorate, but that she was to wait on Him for the tasks he would have ahead for her. She felt that she was to use her music to glorify Him, and to bring healing to others. Melissa has spent the last nine years exploring the meaning of this message, developing her gifts and trying to be as obedient as possible to the call God has placed upon her life.
Melissa's loves composing personalized music for those enduring hard times (sickness, trial, etc.). Many of her compositions are unique in-home recordings used for such individualized situations. Her main musical interests include spontaneous improvisation, world music, singing the Scriptures, and music therapy. She has also recently been exploring songwriting for children.
Melissa currently plays in two bands: DeepStream (a Messianic worship group), and a currently unnamed worship band comprised of some close friends. She has played in churches, synagogues, concert halls, nursing homes, hospitals, on mountaintops, at conferences, weddings, dinner parties, on tour busses, and at the bedsides of dying patients. She has performed for audiences of several thousand, to audiences of one. Her music has most often been described as calming, soothing, peaceful, and inspiring.
In her free time, outside of composing, Melissa enjoys writing poetry and allegorical prose, drawing and painting, filmmaking, spending time with loved ones, and walking outside amidst God's incredible creation. Always wanting to grow in versatility, Melissa recently took up a new instrument -- the 10-string Kinnor (King David's Harp). It is her dream to one day play the cello as well.
