Mary Loeffelbein

Growing up in a musical and creative family made becoming a singer-songwriter an organic, even necessary thing for me. Songwriting is a natural outlet when life gets too loud, too harsh, OR even when it is too sweet! Words help me cope with life – but add music – and the tears flow more easily, the laughter bubbles up, the emotions that want to sit low and hide are allowed a voice and I can be free to express my stories.

That’s what my songs are. My stories.

My experiences include traveling and singing with a vocal group when I was young, to prison music ministry with a band, as well as being involved in multiple worship music ministries, owning and teaching in my music studio, recording a few albums of my own songs with a great Producer/Friend – Brandon Bee, (savethecityrecords.com), working with young vocalists in Italy who aspire to music and worship ministry, teaching vocal workshops at conferences, and various and sundry music festivals, recitals and concerts. Many of my songs have been selected and aired by podcasts such as Women of Substance, Music Matters among others.

My music is available for purchase and/or streaming at Apple Music, Amazon Music, ReverbNation, Spotify, YouTube, and more.

I have had the privilege of training up several performers and recording artists over a few decades of teaching singing, songwriting and keyboards. Artists such as Holly Starr, hollystarrmusic.com and Jennifer Dufoort with bonfiremusic.org in the Netherlands. In addition to giving private singing and piano lessons in my home studio, I have taught many classes in schools, churches and at conferences on vocals and performance. I have also had the honor of training up classical vocalists, and my studio has had many competitive successes in vocal competitions over the years.

Currently, due to the pandemic, my studio has been closed down (since I teach singing and it is an activity not to be done in close quarters at this time). Also my family has had some personal health and life-changing challenges that have caused me to step back a little and be available to serve and love on them. I am super grateful to have the opportunity to do that.

However, after more than a year of putting my music on the back burner I am returning to it with such an appreciation and joy in the work/play dynamic of songwriting again. My personal style of music leans towards Folk and Celtic, (My family is Scots/Irish). My 2nd album, dedicated to my late father who was so proud of his Scottish ancestry, includes my newest venture – a bit of Scots Gaidhlig singing. I am glad of the chance to share some of the old and the new of my song stories with a new audience who may be able to relate to the realities of life like those that inspired these songs. To allow what is difficult to become something beautiful is the utmost calling of the Creative artist.

Mary Loeffelbein

AKA YellowBird, AKA MaryKat