Album Notes

A Chicago native, Joanna started playing piano at age eight and began formal voice lessons five years later, although she remembers singing as early as age five with her mother who would play the piano. Although her family had little financial means, one thing remained constant - that she and one or both of her sisters would play a musical instrument or sing at any given time. Joanna has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Grant Park Symphony Chorus since most of her training was classical, but she also studied musical theatre and jazz. Eventually she found her true calling which was pop music. Since then, she has developed her own original singing style, and her voice is as uniquely impressive as her height. Whether belting it out or caressing the lyrical tones in a ballad, her rich voice sensuously envelops the listener.

Joanna possesses the talent of an excellent songwriter and shows versatility in her writing, which varies with elements from R & B to country, pop, Latin, and light rock. However, the songs on each album she records are cohesive and reflect an adult contemporary feel. Two of her songs were chosen for the semi-finals of the 2001 national songwriting competition held by Chick Singer Night. She has also performed many times in the Chick Singer Night showcases which have been promoted by Sheryl Crow during her 2001 tour, and has sung at numerous Chicago venues over the years, including an International Music Festival. The "Goodbye to Yesterday" album is Joanna's third studio recording, and second recording of her original music. Joanna's music speaks of emotions such as rejection in "Invisible" and sadness of the loss of her mother as a small child in "Gone." It speaks of world peace in "This Dream" and of letting go of painful feelings of the past in "Goodbye to Yesterday." Although these themes come from an adult contemporary perspective, people of all ages can appreciate them.