Private Music Instructor. Performer. Songwriter. Recording Artist. Where did it all begin? Try a five year old who started piano lessons with feet still swinging from the bench and loved to sing with a voice that seemed impossibly big for such a little girl...
Deborah was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1986 and three years later her family moved cross-country to the foothills of western North Carolina, where she calls home to this day. The second of four children, Deborah and her brothers were home educated, a fact which she believes heavily influenced her development and success as a musician.
Piano was a musical jump start for Deborah, but for a reason she really can't explain, her deep desire was to play the harp. That wish was granted when she was nine years old and received a Celtic harp from her parents for Christmas. Not to be deterred by the lack of local teachers, Deborah proceeded to teach herself to play. Rounding off a trio of skills, classical training for her lyric soprano voice began when she was 12 and continued 4 years.
Due to her unusual interest in Celtic and folk music, Deborah chose to opt out of the traditional college track and weave her own tapestry of learning. In 2004 she trained for a year with nationally-renowned harpist Pamela Bruner, and participated in master classes with Irish harpists Gráinne Hambly and Máire Ní Chathasaigh. She pursued independent studies in music pedagogy and in 2006 studied vocal performance, music theory, and music history at a local college.
Deborah's unique repertoire and charming personality first took to the stage in 4-H talent shows when she was eight, through which she garnered Best of Show several years in a row. Her performance sphere soon began to expand to included conferences, concert series programs, historical society events, private functions, fine dining restaurants, and church services.
She made her debut as a recording artist in spring 2007 with the release of Let Dixie Remember, a CD featuring Southern music for harp and voice. This was followed by an album featuring Irish music for harp and voice, entitled ErinSong, released in summer 2008. Coming into her own as a songwriter/arranger, Deborah arranged all the pieces for both albums, as well as recording several of her own works.
In the course of her professional career, Deborah has traveled from Florida to New York, performing as a solo artist, as well as appearing on stage with other musicians. She has opened for world-renowned Irish tenor Anthony Kearns and Irish tenor Andy Cooney. In 2010 she went on tour with Broadway stars Ciaran Sheehan and Gay Willis in their show Galway to Broadway.
Deborah has a flair for travel and with a harp often in tow, has made four pilgrimages to Ireland, as well as England, Australia, Malta and Germany. From joining celeigh session in Irish pubs, to giving Maltese children their first glimpse of a harp, Deborah treasures each opportunity to share her music and learn new...
As a way to do just that on a regular basis, she teaches voice, piano, and harp lessons in a private studio she has been operating since 2003. Deborah's students range from very young children to retirees who remain young at heart. Her approach to teaching is unique in that she tailors lessons to each student's individual learning style and interests. She has also done extensive work in developing a method to successfully teach dyslexic children to read music easily.
Formerly known to her fans as Deborah Brinson, she is now Deborah Wilkie, after being wedded to Brock Wilkie in February of 2011.
And thus life moves onward. Soli Deo Gloria.
