About the Composer

Growing up, Ruth studied flute, music theory, and guitar. She sang in a number of folk groups as a teenager and continued to perform as lead singer in each combo.

Singing, writing music and playing flute introduced her to a number of opportunities to travel to various countries of the world with Shekinah, a Christian performing arts company. She toured England, Holland, and traveled with the group to various destinations in North America before joining them for almost a year in Israel, where she performed with the troupe throughout the country.

Ruth produced her first Album of original songs at age 22. Awake North Wind was created at Master's Workshop with co-producer Doug McKenzie.

Working as a singer/dancer/actress in the repertory theatre troupe The Inner Stage, Ruth also wrote songs for the company, and led workshops with children, teenagers and adults in the performing arts.

Ruth played flute, sang, played keyboards and wrote music for the reggae band Skyless and the Clouds. She formed a new band with lead singer Mikie C. (of Tuned in Radio) called Soul Food and produced with Mikie an EP of groove music called Spectacular.

When The Blues Brothers band came to Ottawa, (with Dan Aykroyd and James Belushi) in 1994, Ruth was invited to sing as one of their three back-up singers. They called the three singers The Natural Queens.

Inspired by inner reflections and hopes for humanity, Ruth’s new CD called The Borderlands was released on her own record label, Jesse Records in 1999. The songs from The Borderlands are all original (music and lyrics) with songs inspired by A Course in Miracles and The Bible. The music on the CD is enhanced by the performances of flautist Ron Korb, guitarist Ray Hickey Jr., bassist Steve Lucas, drummer Larry Crowe, cellist Daniel Domb, keyboardist John Cleveland Hughes, and blues guitarist Buzz Upshaw. Ruth co-produced the CD with Paul LaChapelle at Quest Recording Studio in Oshawa, Ontario. Ruth sang all lead and back-up vocals on The Borderlands as well as playing classical and twelve-string acoustic guitars, grand piano and keyboards.

In February, March and April of 2002 Ruth wrote and directed her first film "Talking Again" for the Toronto Online Film Festival which won a Digital Gun Award. "Talking Again" is a music video taken from track #3 of The Borderlands.

Ruth obtained a Music and Drama Degree from the University of Toronto as well as a Bachelor of Education. She teaches music with the Canadian Bureau for the Advancement of Music where she is a supervisor and examiner. She is Vice-President of the Piano Class Teachers Association and served three years on the Board of Directors for The Davenport Festival of Music, promoting excellence in music performance among young musicians of Toronto and Southern Ontario, Canada.

She plays with her band and performs solo concerts regularly accompanying herself on piano and guitar and she is currently in rehearsal for her new CD Songdreamer.




Much of the music in my Life has had a spiritual element as my faith has led me to write many songs rooted in Sacred Texts and spiritual experiences. But all of life is a spiritual experience and even my love songs and fun songs are written within the context of my beliefs.

I create my songs through my feelings and the responses of the moment expressing my impressions of existence in the substance of my music and lyrics. It's all spontaneous. . . not planned. I sing about just whatever is for me.

Sometimes when I'm reading a certain passage in a book I feel the music in the words. Sometimes I meet someone and they seem to bring with them a song. . . . so I write that song. Sometimes I dream songs and wake up with them in my ears. It's as though someone was singing while I was sleeping.

The songs come in many ways and most of the time they are complete. If I change a song too much I eventually have to change it back or I'll not get any peace! Sometimes, though, a song will come over many months. It is as if they go through a process of distillation in my consciousness and then emerge as a finished work.