I've been playing guitar since I was five. By age eight, I was taking lessons at the local community center, starting with acoustic and later classical guitar.

Music has always been central in my life. I played weekly at Mass for years, joined an all-girl band in high school, and later played in Irish bands—where I also picked up the mandolin.

In 2007, I joined the Mandoleers, starting on second mandolin before switching to classical guitar. I've stayed ever since, drawn by the camaraderie and shared commitment to making music.

I love collaborating to create something new, and the orchestra has given me that joy. I look forward to many more years with the Mandoleers and small guitar ensembles—despite Lucky the cat’s interruptions during practice!

I am a music educator and classically trained singer who hails from the Tidewater region of Virginia, with deep family roots in the Shenandoah Valley as well as the DC metropolitan region. My students call me Miss Cindy and the Mandoleers lovingly refer to me as Cindy Joy. My singing incorporates a variety of musical styles from classical solos to Indie rock, and I play many instruments, including mandolin, harmonium, mixed percussion, and just about anything I can get my hands on! When I discovered the Mandoleers in 2017 I fell in love with classical mandolin, and have become dedicated to promoting public interest and enjoyment in the rich and beautiful tradition of the Mandolin Orchestra. When I am not rocking out with my friends, family, and students, I enjoy hiking, swimming, biking, river-sitting, and growing vegetables. 

I’ve been playing fretted instruments since I was six, when my dad taught me my first three guitar chords and gave me a Mel Bay book. As a teen, I briefly tried playing in a rock band but shifted focus after getting a 12-string guitar. My family later acquired a 1912 Gibson F2 mandolin when we bought a home from a former player.

In college, I toured for ten weeks with a contemporary Christian music group through the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps, bringing both my 12-string and mandolin. In the early ’90s, after hearing Marilyn Mair perform, I joined The Mandoleers in Arlington, Virginia and eventually switched from mandolin to mandocello. I’ve served as President, webmaster, and instructor for both instruments ever since.

Today, I lead worship at Warrenton Bible Fellowship, playing both 12-string and electric guitar. I also play jazz guitar, join local jam sessions, and serve as backup guitarist for the Fredericksburg Big Band

I grew up in Sugar Creek, Missouri, a suburb of Kansas City populated mostly by Croatian and Slovakian immigrants as well as a handful of Irish American families like mine.  Starting at the age of ten, I learned to play the mandolin with our church-sponsored tamburitza band.  Our group played traditional folk music, including polkas and waltzes.  (Didn't every child grow up knowing how to polka?)  While I often complained to my parents about going to practice every Wednesday night, of course, I am now so grateful to them!  

Although I left Kansas City over 30 years ago, I have returned over the years to perform with the band at the annual Sugar Creek Slavic Festival.  I also played the mandolin in our church choirs in Germany and Austria during our assignments with the State Department.

I was thrilled when I discovered the Mandoleers in June of 2025, and I feel so lucky that I get to play with such a talented group of musicians! 

I have been with the Mandoleers since the middle of 2023, playing octave mandolin.
I got a guitar for my high school graduation and started learning how to play when I went to college back in the mid 1980s. Soon, I also took up the mandolin because the music group I wanted to play with already had two guitar players.  We were called "The Bluegrass Group" (very unoriginal) and played for various events around campus, including as one of the opening acts for the Seldom Scene when they came to town.

I first heard of the Mandoleers in the late 1990s, but had a crazy busy job at the time and never got around to checking it out. I retired from that busy job at the end of 2022, and decided to finally give the Mandoleers a try a few months later.  I'm really glad I did; I had forgotten the joy of making music with other people.

I started playing guitar and bass at the age of 10 and have been a 'part-time' musician ever since.  In high school I was honored to be the drum major of the Fairmont Senior marching band and led us during the 1988 Macy's Day parade.  I am from Fairmont, West Virginia and moved to the DMV area in 1990 to study at Georgetown University.  After college, I was with a 'grunge band' that recorded an album with an independent record label on the west coast but it never quite took off.

Since then I have worked in various IT fields and stayed in the DMV where I met my wife.  I joined the Mandoleers in 2006 and have been a member ever since.  I am lucky and thankful to have this outlet for keeping my musical skills active.

I learned to play the mandolin as a child. After pausing for several years, I started playing again later in life. I joined the Mandoleers in 2017 and am delighted to experience the joy of making music with my Mandoleers friends.

Originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, I moved to the United States in 1993. I hold a master’s degree in classical guitar and domra (mandolin version in Ukraine) and have performed extensively across the United States and throughout the former Soviet Union. My career has included numerous solo and ensemble appearances, as well as collaborations with orchestras and chamber groups.

In addition to performing, I have devoted many years to teaching. My students range in age from 6 to 92, and I currently work with many current and former members of our orchestra. Teaching and performing are both central to my life as a musician, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to share my passion through music, education, and community.