Jeanne Benioff

Jeanne Benioff started taking lessons in the Alexander Technique in the late 1980's but gave it up for various reasons. Then, in 2005 her chronic neck and shoulder tension reached a peak. In the midst of cleaning up some files she came across an article by Frank Ottiwell. By just reading it, she felt tension being released! She was so excited, she started reading more and paying attention to her body. The next day she felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders! Curious, she called Frank, who referred her to George Lister, and she's been hooked ever since.

As a child Jeanne performed with the San Francisco Children's Opera, and she still remembers what a thrill it was to perform in the Opera House! As a teenager she learned to play folk and classical guitar and also studied piano. In college she fell in love with Balkan dancing and, through that, Balkan singing. Since then she has performed with various Balkan groups including the professional women’s ensemble, KITKA.

Jeanne started her own Balkan group, Born to Drone, in 1993 while also singing with the College of Notre Dame's Community Chorus as well as the college's Chamber Singers. Then, for six years, she was privileged to be part of the Peninsula Women's Chorus (PWC), a Palo Alto-based, 50-voice women's choir performing high-quality classical and contemporary music. She coached PWC on Balkan music for their spring 1998 concerts and taught a workshop that summer on the art of Balkan singing. Jeanne is also an active member of the celebrated women's choral group JewelTones whose repertoire includes popular music from the first half of the 20th century.

She studies voice with Carl Franzen. Under his guidance Jeanne has discovered her lyric coloratura soprano voice.

Jeanne earned her BA in Anthropology and Master's in Library Science, but now works on contract as a computer programmer. When not singing Jeanne enjoys being with family and friends, gardening, cooking, traveling to exotic places with her husband and being in nature.

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