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We
were
a
poor
family.
There
were
not
any
books
in
our
rented
home,
so
I
was
never
read
to
and
never
knew
any
fairy
tales
until
I
read
them
to
my
own
children.
Maybe
that
is
why
my
imagination
became
so
vivid
and
active.
I
made
up
my
own
stories.
My
sister
and
I
gathered
up
old
rags
and
torn
curtains
pieces.
Then
we
acted
out
our
stories. |
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After
moving
to many
different
places,
we settled
on a farm
near a
small
town in
upstate
New York.
In my
new school
there
was a
wonderful
sixth
grade
teacher
who introduced
me to
the violin.
Thus began
my destiny
as a professional
violinist.
In high
school,
I wrote
stories
and poetry.
My poetry
was published
in the
National
Anthology
of High
School
Poetry,
but violin
ruled
and I
went to
music
school.
I graduated
from Ithaca
College
and did
graduate
studies
at the
University
of Illinois
and Elmira
College.
In
Florida,
I
taught
performing
arts
in
a
school
for
gifted
children.
As
part
of
my
curriculum,
I
created
a
program
called
THE
WHEEL
of
ARTS.
I
wrote
many
stories
accompanied
by
activities
and
music.
Those
stories
became
the
impetus
for
writing
my
books.
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