Album Notes

A spritely redhead with a clear, lyrical voice, Miss Holly sang her first solo for all of the neighborhood kids atop her backyard fort at the age of four. Since that day she has become an indomitable songbird. Her siblings would often bang on the bathroom door, begging her to stop when she would be vocalizing her heart out in the shower. Even her neighbors would complain, but singing came so naturally to Miss Holly that nobody could discourage her.

Making up little melodies and dances also came natural to this passionate and playful woman. Raised in a large family, Miss Holly spent many childhood hours singing, harmonizing, dancing and dramatizing with her sisters. Then, at age twenty-two she learned the five-string banjo after hearing it playing year after year as she entered Frontierland, Disneyland. Miss Holly also became quite accomplished at both Appalachian clog-dancing and classical ballet; the one form linking her to her Irish roots and the other enhancing her fairy-like nature.

Accused throughout her life of living in a dreamworld and being nothing more than a whimsical creature full of song and dance, it only made sense that Miss Holly became a preschool music and movement specialist. It was then that she began sharing some of her ditties with her students, expanding them into finger plays, creative movement and dramatic play. It is often the case that her tunes will be requested repeatedly in the same session. Thus, her favorite phrase to hear is "Again,again!"

A light bulb came on inside of her when she began studying child development fifteen years ago, gaining twelve years of teaching experience after that. She had loads of fun and came alive once more when she went to Cal State LA to receive certification in Orff Sculwerk(a really fun, worldwide approach to teaching improvisational music and dance to children).
One of the best things Miss Holly did was to marry Ed Florek, a fine and versatile guitar picker, song-writer and arranger. Together they comprise the duo "PRAIRIE FIRE".