Beth McDonald

Beth grew up as part of a large family in Harford County, MD, just North of Baltimore. She began writing music and poetry as a small child and studied piano and violin through high school. Beth earned Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology from the University of Baltimore, worked for several years in the nonprofit sector coordinating volunteer programs for the Mental Health Association and a local Hospice, and then left the work force to become a stay-at-home mother to two boys. She was (accidentally? divinely?) "discovered" and asked to front a jazz band. From there she went on to record many albums containing a combination of jazz standards and original material. Her influences include Peggy Lee and Billy Joel. Doug Boynton, of girlsingers.org says "In public appearances, one of Beth McDonald's performances is a tribute show to Peggy Lee, and it's not hard to understand why - there are a lot of similarities. A sort of detached cool, polished to perfection, but almost....almost unapproachable. ....Her original material stands up just fine against the standards. ....Ms. McDonald's voice [is] versatile, whether handling blues, ballads, lullabies or her sultry take on Peggy Lee's signature song, 'Fever'."To Beth, it's all about keeping it pure and simple, using great melodies with lyrics that not only make sense but reach the hearts of listeners. She says that "as a songwriter, you want to grab your audience, take them to another place, another time, and then set them back gently. If you get it right, it's magical."

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