Today, we are here to interview the famous "Jill of All Trades" musician, Brooke Yool. We were lucky to grab her for a brief discussion, as she is traipsing around the world performing as we speak.

US: Ms. Yool, you love music. What exactly do you do, musically?

BEY: My parents met in a choir, so it seems only natural to me that I'd embrace music as my main avocation. At this point, I play piano for fun and occasionally profit, I sing in an a cappella sextet (Smorgaschord -- I'm the second from the top), I arrange songs for a cappella performance, and I play the saxophone. Other instruments will hopefully follow in the future. I dream of a room in a future house filled with many instruments... ahhh, what shall I play today?

US: Sounds wonderful! I can only imagine how much fun that will be for you. Let's just hope that your husband will occasionally be able to visit you, that you're not sucked into a black hole in that room!

BEY (laughing): No, I'll make him sit in there and listen to me. Well, sometimes.

US: How did you get started in the music field?

BEY: To be honest, I don't really remember! I have vague memories of sitting in front of my mom's piano when I was young (the one with the broken F above middle C), and there are pictures of me sitting there pre-school age, playing around. Oh, I loved learning more, and constantly pestered my mom to teach me all she knew! Before I knew it, I was singing harmony to my mom's melody all the time (I was born an alto?), and of course, I sang in all of the school choirs. I grabbed as many of the solos in school performances as I could growing up. I continued on to college to take a few voice classes, but stopped there, as I did not want a music degree.

US: All of that, and you didn't want the music degree? Why's that? Seems like it would have been so natural for you.

BEY (sighing): I don't know if I regret this, or not. I didn't want to have to rely on music as my primary career, so I pursued biology instead. I'd always wanted to pick up music as a double major, but both biology and music had demanding class schedules at my college. So, I literally fell off of the face of the musical earth, since many of the performance slots at school were reserved for majors only.

US: Sounds like a hard decision for you to make.

BEY: That it was. On the other hand, music has always been fun for me, and not a job.

US: Always a good thing. Listen, tell us about this a cappella group that you sing with?

BEY: Oh, Smorgaschord. For years, I've admired a cappella groups, the small, professional groups with one-to-a-part harmony. I always wanted to form one of my own, but never found people. I recently met five others in a local a cappella choir, and we got together and started singing! Now, you can't stop me from arranging...

US: Sounds like a great way to learn the ropes! Another question for you: we hear that running was instrumental, pardon the pun, in your return to the music fray? What's the story on that?

BEY (laughing): Hey, how'd ya find that one out? Yeah, I got back into music due to a friend I met in a marathon training group. Chuck and I ran marathons with the group and stuck around for a few years afterward doing volunteer work with the group. One evening, Chuck produced a fundraising concert, an a cappella showcase. Once I saw the options that were out there vocally, I couldn't resist and had to worm my way into the community. It ends up that I'm lucky to know Chuck, since he has tons of connections in the vocal and musical world. All I ever need to do is ask...

US: Hey, lucky you! And good for you to get involved with the running group, so that you were reacquainted with the musical world! Many musicians have a list that they consider their "influences." Who do you put on your list?

BEY (smiling): Too numerous for me to list! Where do I start? Some of whom I'd consider on that list are Dave Brubeck, Al Di Meola, Rush, Adiemus, the Beatles, Genesis (from the '70's)/Peter Gabriel, Duke Ellington, Bach, Joe Jackson, M-PACT!, Manhattan Transfer, Stevie Wonder... I've left out a lot! You get the picture...

US: Rush... they were the ones who sang that Tom Sawyer song, right?

BEY (rolling eyes): Hey, those guys put out over 20 solid albums! Don't knock 'em 'til you've heard 'em! Hey, check out Fountain of Lamneth (on Caress of Steel) when you can... awesome lyrics.

US (laughing): OK, we get the picture! You also mention M-PACT! We've never heard of them here. Please explain who they are...

BEY: Oh, quite happily! They are five very talented guys based in Seattle who sing amazing a cappella. They are tight, the chemistry between 'em is great, their vocals are very precise. But I think my favorite thing about the guys is the interesting harmonies they use in their arrangements. They think nothing of taking any pop song from the past twenty years and making it just *that* much more interesting by tweaking it with some jazz harmonies, not what you hear in everyday vocal drivel. I just love their arrangements! And do check out their website at http://www.m-pact.com. If you can go to a show of theirs, you won't regret it!

US: They sound like a fantastic quintet. I'll have to take some of my friends to see them next time they're in town! Well, folks, that's about all the time Brooke has for us today...

BEY: Yes, I do have an important engagement in the city this evening.

US: Thank you for your time, and happy performing, whatever instrument you choose!