Biography

“If music be the food of love, sing on ’til I am fill’d with joy.”

Composer Henry Purcell, Poet Henry Heveningham, “If Music be the Food of Love”

While many will credit Shakespeare with the above quote and ensuing poem, it is only the first seven words that were quoted from Twelfth Night. This line, along with the rest of the poem, is one of my favorite texts and embodies what I want my students to feel after participating in any of my classes. While each of my courses have solid academic goals for students, the major goal is to discover something new in music – to be moved by music and see the beauty in it and, perhaps, find a new genre or style that fills them with joy.

A native of Idaho, Lorie Francis holds degrees from the University of Idaho – Moscow where she studied piano and accompanying with Dr. Jay Mauchley, organ with Susan Billin, harpsichord with Sandra Mauchley, and voice with Dr. Tom Richardson. While in the Moscow area, she performed with the U of I Symphony, the Washington-Idaho Symphony, and accompanied student choral ensembles and visiting guest artists.

She held an accompanying assistantship at the University of Colorado – Boulder where she played piano for undergraduate voice classes and several instrumental studios. A student of Larry Graham (piano) and Storm Bull (the music of Bela Bartok), she performed with the CU-Boulder Wind Ensemble on their tour of Japan and accompanied for many high school honor choirs (state, district, and national groups), working with amazing directors throughout the United States and abroad, something she continues to do as time allows.

At S&T, Lorie currently conducts two choirs (Jazz Choir and Chamber Choir) and teaches Music Appreciation, Music of Latin America, and Music Theory. She has appeared as soloist with the S&T University Orchestra many times, most recently performing the Mozart Concerto #20 in d minor. She is also active with the S&T Theater section serving as vocal coach/music director and, often, accompanist. A recipient of several grants and teaching awards from S&T and the UMSystem (eFellows, AOER, and Latin American Music), Lorie was honored to become one of 2022’s Honorary Knights as part of the St. Pat’s celebration. A church keyboardist since junior high, she currently serves as the pianist and organist for First Presbyterian Church of Rolla.

Lorie lives in Rolla with her husband John and kitties Muffy and Barty (named after her favorite composer, Bela Bartok!!). She and John have two grown sons, Matthew and Paul (daughter in law Lexi). An endurance bicyclist, Lorie is often seen on the road – paved and unpaved – riding while wearing her favorite color, PINK!

Education

• 1985 – M.M. in Music, University of Colorado – Boulder
• 1983 – B.M. in Music, University of Idaho