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Spotlight on our Members
Merrie Beth Samways We say hello to our new organist, Merrie Beth, who has been playing for The Knoxville United Church since the beginning of October, 2007. She was born on March 31, 1968. She started studying the organ privately when she was the age of 7. She attended Duquesne University where she earned a MA in Psychology. Her under graduate studies, also at Duquesne University, included Psychology, Biology, and Sacred Music/ Organ. Merrie Beth has been playing in churches since 1984 which was at The Grandview United Presbyterian Church until 1998. That was very convenient since she grew up in Mt. Washington. Merrie Beth and her husband Ian live in Mt. Washington now. Her next church was in 1998-2003 as an organist and choir director for The Haven Heights United Methodist Church. After that she was the Director of Music for The Mt. Pisgah Presbyterian USA Church from 2004-2005. Her other jobs included teacher of Music and English at the Prince of Peach School on the South Side from 1992-1995. While there, she taught general music for pre-school through eighth grade, and upper elementary English. She also served as director of all extracurricular activities relating to music and drama. She founded and directed the first choir there. She also directed Charles Dickens’, “The Christmas Carol”. She also was a music educator for Mt. Lebanon Montessori School and Academy from 1996-1999. While there she provided students with opportunities for other forms of artistic expression including multi-cultural drama, writing, songs and dances. She directed the academy students on two original musical adaptations of multi-cultural stories: “How Music Was Fetched Out of Heaven” (Aztecs) and “The Grateful Statues” (Japanese). In her spare time she likes to write poetry and fictional short stories including mysteries. She had an essay published in the “Cat Fancy” magazine. She has also had a prize winning recipe published in the “Chili Pepper” magazine. Maybe she will give you her recipe if you ask her!! Her husband Ian was born in April 7, 1965. They were married on August 7, 1992. He has a double bachelor’s degree in Civil/Mechanical Engineering and Russian. He also had graduate studies at Yale in Russian and Eastern European languages. He works as a Patent Agent for Reed Smith. He also volunteers for the Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council.
Bob Burletic joins Knoxville UC (click on the photos to enlarge) |
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