As a composer, Melody enjoys creating motivational piano pieces that foster students' understanding and love of music.

Melody graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois at Champaign/Urbana with a bachelor's degree in music education. She later received a Master of Arts degree in piano performance from Minnesota State University, Moorhead. She credits much of her success to her influential teachers who include Joel Shapiro and Andrew Froelich (piano), Mary Hoffman (music education) and Tony Caramia (jazz).

Melody has held the position of church music director, forty plus years of private piano teaching, twenty years of public school music and two years at the university level. A dynamic clinician and innovative composer, Melody is in great demand at conventions and workshops for piano teachers across North America.

She resides in Minnesota with her husband, Jeff.