Album Notes

Mark and Helena Greathouse are the founders of GREATHOUSE of Music. They sell and distribute their own books on music and dance as well as a line of CDs.

Throughout her childhood Helena sang on the Czechoslovak National Radio and performed in musicals in principal roles on both the Czechoslovak National TV and in live theater in her native Czechoslovakia. She later studied voice under professors of Prague Conservatory of Music and continues to do so now both in Prague and in the United States.

In her teens Helena turned to competitive sports, competing in Rhythmic Gymnastics for 12 years in Europe on the advanced level. That led to pursuing an international judging career later in her life (including three World Championships and two Olympics). During her competitive years in sports Helena continued to sing as a soloist in Prague with a folk band.

After judging internationally, Helena brought her dance experience from Rhythmic Gymnastics to the arts, performing again in musicals and plays.

Mark has been playing the accordion since the age of five. His father owned a music business in downtown Portland, Oregon, and Mark was one of his students. They performed on many occasions as a father-son duo. Mark won many awards for his accordion performances before going to Europe to study German, where he met Helena at the University of Hamburg in Germany. She discovered that Mark could learn anything she could sing, and they began to perform together in Hamburg. Later they were married in Prague, the capital of today’s Czech Republic. Soon they came to the U.S., where they have lived ever since, traveling frequently back to Europe where they also perform.

Besides performing on accordion, Mark has produced many piano compositions, some of which have been choreographed for dance.