Marilyn Grubbs has been a lover of nature and of music as long as she can remember. Some of her earliest memories are of sitting in her back yard soaking in the beauty of the flowers and trees. At about the same time she would listen as her older sister sang in the children’s choir at church, and mouth all the words. As soon as she was old enough she joined the choir, and has been in choirs and choruses most of the time since then. She got very good at reading the notes on a written page, but she loves the creativity of experimenting with arrangements and harmonies, which she gets to do with Jewelsong.

In her working life, Marilyn was for many years a teacher of young children and then a consultant to teachers. A few years ago she decided to pursue a long-term dream of becoming a therapist. After combining work and graduate school for four years, in 2006 she is finally getting a Master’s degree in counseling and moving into her new career!

Marilyn grew up attending a large Presbyterian church with a wonderful music program. Since music has always been such an important aspect of her spirituality, as a young adult she sought out the best choir in town – at an Episcopal church. However, the seeker inside compelled her to move on. In Unity Center of Peace Church and the Dances of Universal Peace she has found communities that support her in exploring the wisdom of traditions such as Buddhism, Sufism, and of course the paths of Minnie-Tonka and Swami Beyondananda.