RACHEL HOLDER

Rachel Holder has been singing professionally in the Twin Cities since she was 19 years old. Her unique voice has a sensitivity and expressiveness far beyond her years. Rachel graduated from McNally Smith College of Music with a bachelors degree in vocal performance in 2007. She performs at several venues in the Twin Cites such as: The Dakota Jazz Club, The Times Bar and Cafe, Jitters, The Townhouse and The Artists’ Quarter. Rachel is an extremely versatile singer and performs many genres of music including jazz, latin, r&b, and pop. She can be seen performing with groups including the Wolverines, the George Maurer Group, the Girls and Vital Organ, as well as fronting her own group. Rachel’s debut album, “Save Your Love For Me”, recorded with jazz pianist Dan Musselman, was released in  2009.

Erin Schwab is an accomplished vocalist and musical theater performer with credits that span the globe and amusements parks to professional theatres throughout the Twin Cities.  As a musical theatre performer, Erin portrayed Tina in Hey City Theater's long running production of Tony n' Tina's Wedding and was in the first national tour of School House Rock Live!  Erin performs solo as well as with The Bellcats, The Wolverines, Metro Jam and Hot Swing Combo at a number of Twin Cities music venues including Hell's Kitchen, Camp and The Dakota. Erin is also a McNally Smith College vocal department instructor.

 MICHAEL MONROE

From vinyl to digital, Michael Monroe is now in his forth decade of performing nationally in concert, festival corporate and educational settings.  His unique creation of music leaves his audiences mesmerized as he blends his rich vocals, guitar, bamboo and glass flutes, combining musical styles of acoustic folk and jazzy reggae.  Michael's original music and compelling energy bring a powerful style that is as much fun as it is innovative,,, music and technology working together powered by creativity... Michael Monroe was awarded a regional Emmy for Musical Composition/Arrangement.  The documentary, "Soaring On Mended Wings" titled after Michael's composition, also won an Emmy!

MARY LOUISE KNUTSON

Pianist-composer Mary Louise Knutson has been called "one of the most exciting and innovative artists to happen to jazz piano in quite some time." Her warm, inviting tone, broad range of emotional expression, and distinctive compositions have brought her much recognition on the national music scene. Mary Louise’s debut jazz trio CD, Call Me When You Get There, charted in the Top 50 in the United States and Canada for eight consecutive weeks and earned her the award for Top New Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year from KWJL Radio, California, in 2001.  In 2005, she was a Top 5 Finalist in the Kennedy Center’s Women in Jazz Pianist Competition and, in 2006, she was nominated for both Jazz Artist of the Year and Pianist of the Year by the Minnesota Music Awards.  Inspired by successful concert tours in both Italy and the United States, Mary Louise is now composing music for her next CD which is slated for release in 2011.

 Donnie Lamarca is a renowned recording artist, composer and producer.  He has appeared with and/or recorded with Bonnie Raitt, The Rembrandts, Alexander O’Neil, The Steeles, Paul Schaffer, Otis Day, Ben Vareen, The Shirelles, and Johnny Lang. 

Donnie’s national performances include touring with Donny Osmond’s touring group and playing multiple arena dates opening for the Rolling Stones “Forty Licks Tour.”   Donnie also recorded a track for Whitney Houston which she performed at Arista Records 25^th Anniversary Party.    

Key to Life will be forever indebted to Donnie for composing, orchestrating, and recording, “Sacred Space,” Key to Life’s signature meditation music.  

Mary Jane Alm has the longest bio of any guest performer at Key!  The following info is only a tiny edited version of her past/current projects… in her words:  “I was in an all girl band called Women Who Cook for quite a few years and toured the Soviet Union with them. I did some musical theater at The Chanhassen Dinner Theater and The Ordway Theater.  I still sing with a lot of those players (from her past) and singers in a band called Synergy. We have traveled all over the world. I was a part of The Music Workshop For Kids and we recorded several CD's. I am currently teaching music theory and vocal techniques at The Institute of Production and Recording in downtown Minneapolis. AWARDS: John Phillip Sousa Award of Excellence, Twin Cities Reader Best Female Vocalist, Minnesota Music Awards, Best Female Vocalist (multiple years), Artist of the Year, Best Country Band (multiple years), Song of The Year, Emmy Award (Music Workshop For Kids), Parents Choice Award (All five Music Workshop For Kids CDs), 2007 Induction into The Minnesota Rock/Country Hall of Fame.

Aaron Keith Stewart came to Minnesota from his native Parsons, Kansas when he enrolled at St. Johns’ University in Collegeville, earning a degree in Peace Studies. But he had always been surrounded by music. Stewart became involved in the jazz scene surrounding the Twin Cities, as lead singer in the traveling show band, Temporary Heroes, joined the Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota, and has contributed tracks and arrangements for compilation albums.  Aaron Keith performs at many local jazz clubs and is involved in the music program at MacPhail Center for Music.  Aaron Keith's timing, phrasing, interpretation of lyric and melody all put him in a category occupied by only a handful of the area’s singing jazzmen.  

Adam Linz is the Jazz Coordinator at MacPhail Center for Music.  He has a Bachelor of Music degree from the William Paterson University Jazz Studies Program and is a former student of Peter Olson at MacPhail.  As a bassist he teaches at Augsburg College, Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth, and MacPhail.  He co-leads the group Fat Kid Wednesdays with childhood friends Mike Lewis and Jt Bates. They have two releases on the French label Nocturne Records and tour extensively throughout Europe and North America. Adam has also performed with Evan Parker, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, Mose Allison, George Cartwright, Dave King, Dosh, Francois Tusques, Douglas Ewart, Irv Williams, and Ten Thousand Things Theatre Company.