Hello!
I am the author of books for children which celebrate classical music, RISE UP WITH A SONG: THE TRUE STORY OF ETHEL SMYTH, SUFFRAGETTE, illustrated by Helena Perez-Garcia(Bushel & Peck Books, November 2022) and IN ONE EAR AND OUT THE OTHER: ANTONIA BRICO AND HER AMAZINGLY MUSICAL LIFE, illustrated by Morgana Wallace. (Penny Candy Books, 2020)
In addition to writing books for children, I am a classical violinist and teacher. I teach violin and viola to all ages of students at the University of Idaho Preparatory Strings Division and perform in the first violin section of the Washington-Idaho Symphony.
As a child, I listened to classical records on my parent’s 1960’s turntable and fell in love with the soaring sound of the violins. The “Waltz of the Flowers” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite remains a favorite to this day. Shortly after I discovered Tchaikovsky’s music, I attended the original Disney Fantasia movie, where I was mesmerized by images of violin bows as they moved in shadowy unison across the big screen. I came home from that movie and begged my parents for violin lessons.
My first full size violin was my grandfather’s fiddle. (It had a spider in it when it was taken down from my parents’ attic!)
As a high school student in Denver, CO, I was fortunate to play under Antonia Brico’s baton for 2 years. Her fiery spirit encouraged me to pursue music as a career. I now pair music with writing books for kids which feature classical music themes.
You can read about my books on the My Books tab of this site. 🙂
Diane Worthey 