Mary Rocap

In the eleventh grade I received two gifts of great significance, one was a Yamaha guitar; the second was a Folk Life recording of Odetta. Having grown up with opera and church music, hearing the simplicity of a voice, a song, and an instrument was transforming. The response to this hearing was a desire to do likewise. Music became a beloved companion. The making of music took many forms including R & B bands and ?Elvis? back-up vocals as well as acoustic duos, trios, and quartet groups, but the love of traditional music has always been the heart of my repertoire.

Music became a beloved companion. The making of music took many forms including R & B bands and ?Elvis? back-up vocals as well as acoustic duos, trios, and quartet groups, but the love of traditional music has always been the heart of my repertoire.

I never aspired to be a songwriter, but upon reaching my forties came to the realization that there were songs within that were longing for expression. I was awarded a NC Arts Council's Artist Fellowship for Songwriting grant year 2001/2002.

I have released three CDs. ?Sweet Mimosa" (2002) and ?Indian Summer? (2005) both of which include a couple traditional songs or hymns but are principally my own material. My newest "Hallelujah! Amen." (2007) is entirely gospel. I put my own stamp on these wonderful hymns and spirtuals written from the 1790s to the mid 1900s.

My songs find inspiration from two main sources. The first is the natural world and our place within it; the sea and stars are prominent features of my landscape. The other is my attempt to walk in faith, acknowledging that doubt is never far behind.