Rachel Alexander

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Rachel Alexander grew up in a musical family, and learned to read music before she learned to read words. She earned an undergraduate degree in cello performance, and much later, a Master's in choral conducting. During the intervening years, she worked as a carpenter and studied piano technology.

In 1986, shortly after moving to Michigan, Rachel founded Sistrum, the Lansing Women's Chorus, which she directed for the next 15½ years. As Sistrum’s artistic director, Rachel conducted 150- to 250-voice festival choruses at six women’s choral festivals. For several summers in the early 1990s she directed or assistant-directed a festival chorus at the Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival.

For the past twelve and a half years, Rachel has been the Director of Music and the conductor of the adult choir at the Unitarian Universalist Church in East Lansing. She is also a self-employed piano tuner-technician.

Rachel is a prolific choral arranger and has written a number of original songs.  She sings and plays cello, fiddle, recorders, Melodica, and various other instruments. She loves to explore and perform in many different musical genres, and has been a member of Women at Play (a Grand Rapids-based world-beat improv band), the Treble Makers (an a cappella women’s quartet), and The Bench (an eclectic multi-instrumental band). Since last fall, Rachel has been delighting in making music with Catherine Ellis and Alma Muxlow of Kalamazoo.  Their plans include a house concert in Lansing in the coming weeks, and much more … stay tuned for details!

rachelalexandermusic.com