I will never forget the day I was sitting in a dark cinema watching
 Barbra Streisand sing “People”.  I was a mere child of 10 and I was totally mesmerized by her voice, I felt every note and breath
she took. The music filled my heart and soul like a warm blanket and
I knew, then and there what I wanted to do with my life..

I started by learning my first song on the guitar, a 4 chord song called “House of The Rising Sun” with the help of my sister in law. I was so grateful that at 13 years old, I composed my first original song, a special song for their upcoming wedding . They surprised me at the wedding by asking me to sing it for them, they brought my guitar, which they snuck in, and I sang my song in front of all of my family. After seeing everyone’s face and receiving a standing ovation I knew that this is truly what I was suppose to do.

I then studied trumpet, classical guitar and vocal production over the next decade of my life and started playing in public at the age of 15. I put myself through high school singing and yes, I even graduated.

I have had the pleasure of singing backups for the Canadian Band “Parachute Club” and singing lead vocal on the Ethiopia Relief in Montreal, Canada back in the 80’s. Soon after this, a good friend of mine decided to manage me.  Although I was offered many record deals and recording sessions, nothing ever came through due to the lack of
experience on our part.

I was to be produced by John Cale from Lou Reed and The Velvet Underground,
and on another occasion by producer John Switzer from the Jane Siberry Album.
Jeff Bova is an American Grammy award winning keyboardist, composer,
arranger and record producer contributing to dozens of recordings
 by now famous artists like Celine Dion and Michael Jackson
to name a few. My manager sent him a CD of my original songs
n the 80’s. He brought the CD to the Hit Factory in New York and they loved it. They offered me free recording time with Jeff as the producer. This did not pan out and I lost contact with him.

After these great disappointments, I decided to take a musical sabbatical in 1992 and move to the Islands. I lived in Antigua, WI for close to 6 years honing my vocal skills singing Jazz Standards in all the major hotels on the Island. I decided to return to North America in 1998 and visit my family where I met my ex-husband and now reside here in Mooresville, NC near my family.

Over the years, I have sung everything from Top 40 to Reggae, Jazz to pop. I am a one woman band, I play my Taylor 414 accompanied by my back tracks from my Motif 6. I sing different styles of songs learned through the years, and it always amazes me to see the glee on the faces of the audience when I play and sing something that they have not heard for years.

I wish that someday, there will be a little girl in the audience who will sit there and watch me and feel every note and every breath I take, as I did years ago. The music will fill her heart and soul like a warm blanket. She will know right then and there what she wants to be.

Peace and light always,
Lena Mars

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