Place of Birth: Kentucky Bluegrass Calling: Composing, Arranging, Recording & Performing Life Ambition: Create great music Discography: “Beginnings” cassette release 1990, dedicated to patrons at the Moscow Planetarium “Sunday Afternoon” Live CD released September 1999 “Shades of Blue” released December 2009
Cheryl Lynne Skinner—flautist, vocalist, pianist and composer—combines a myriad of styles, including Jazz, R&B, Latin-American, African and classical to achieve her unique smooth contemporary sound. Even while studying classical flute at the University of Louisville School of Music, Skinner knew that she was destined for a more individualistic performing life than classical music would allow her.
She continued her education at the Berklee College of Music in Boston where she learned the nuts and bolts of commercial music. While closer to her musical goals, it wasn’t until Skinner discovered her gifts as a composer that she was able to synthesize the diverse styles and elements that freed her to completely express her musical persona. Solo and ensemble performances in Kentucky, California and the Washington, DC area eventually led Skinner to Chicago where she was able to hone her vocal and ensemble skills with top-notch musicians in the area. In 1997 in Chicago, Cheryl produced innovative concerts and performances in various Chicago venues. Included in these venues, Cheryl produced “Afrocentricity” and “A Christmas Potpourri” as part of the Orpheus Classical Music Series at the Harold Washington Library Auditorium. Cheryl pioneered the first inclusion of a jazz trio and synthesizer performance to that series. Her work has featured the poetry of such renowned poets as Ms. Gwendolyn Brooks and Dr. Maya Angelou. Chicago’s WBEZ featured Skinner in a radio documentary with host Jodi Becker. Skinner came full circle with a concert at the Kentucky Center for the Arts where she performed all original music with the Cheryl Skinner Consort. Skinner again broke new ground with the vision of a live CD taping for the Jazz Cabaret Series. The concert was recorded live January 10, 1999 and resulted in Skinner’s first CD, “Sunday Afternoon” which established the precedent for live recordings in the “Jazz Cabaret Series.” Almost immediately thereafter, she was honored by inclusion in the “African American Composers Live” exhibition at Belmont Mansion in Philadelphia. The Kentucky Education Television network (KET) videotaped Skinner’s concert for use in a documentary. KET2 adopted “Go For Baroque” from her “Sunday Afternoon” CD as the first theme song for their weekly program, “Mixed Media.” Skinner refers to herself as a sound synthesist and her music as contemporary M.U.S.E. (Music Unleashed from Soul Experience). Since the Sunday Afternoon release Skinner celebrated her mediation CD single release “Morning Doves”. This music mediation represents the symbols of peace—doves and the color blue featuring the C flute, Bass Flute, Piccolo & keyboards. Recently Skinner hosted the cheryllynneskinner.com MUSE MP3 project composing an Internet release each week for six consecutive weeks. She is celebrating her second CD release, Shades of Blue a contemporary flute CD.
