Laurie moved to the D.C. area in mid-1999 after living and working in Japan for nine years -- first as a JET on the Japanese Exchange and Teaching Programme www.jetprogramme.org and then at Mazda Motor Corporation www.mazda.com. While settling back into American life, Laurie began her resurgence as an entertainer in 2000 in the DC Metro area performing for a variety of events and venues along the east coast such as:

The Hard Rock Cafe www.hardrock.com 

The French Embassy www.ambafrance-us.org/spip.php? rubrique=2

Napoleons www.napoleonsrestaurant.com

Hotel Carlisle www.hotelcarlisle.com

Waterford www.waterfordreceptions.co

Port Kinsale www.portkinsale.com

The Screwpile Challenge www.screwpile.com

US Postal Service First Day of Issue of the Purple Heart Stamp http://www.usps.com/communications/newsroom/2007/sr07_018.htm at Mt Vernon www.mountvernon.org

Spotlight By Starlight at Mason District Park www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks

Four Lakes Golf Club www.fourlakesgolfclub.com 

Solivita www.solivita.com 

Timber Pines PAC www.timberpines.org 

Siesta Bay Resort www.siestabay.com 

Cypress Lakes www.cypresslakesfla.com 

Lake Ashton Golf Club www.lakeashton.com 

Helen Stairs Theatre www.helenstairstheatre.com 

Pennbrooke Fairways www.pennbrooke.org  

Del Tura Country Club www.delturagolf.com 

On Top of the World www.ontopoftheworldcommunities.com 

Kings Point Delray www.kingspointdelray.com 

The Island Club www.island-countryclub.org 

Citrus Hills Golf & Country Club www.citrushills.com 

The Down Under www.occoquaninn.com

Clyde’s www.clydes.com

JV’s www.jvsrestaurant.com

Addy’s http://www.bestwesternvirginia.com/hotels/best-western-battlefield-inn/

Takoma Theatre www.takomatheatreconservancy.org

Martin’s Crosswinds www.martinscaterers.com

Elk’s Lodge 2188 www.elks2188.com

American Legion Post 364 www.vapost364.org

American Legion Post 1976 www.post1976.org 

Brookridge in Brooksville, Florida

Hernando PAC in Brooksville, Florida

Venice Community Center in Venice, Florida

Veranda Springs in Parrish, Florida

Laurie discovered songwriting in 2002 and has never looked back.  Although she toured most recently in January of 2008 with the Fabulous Hubcaps www.thehubcaps.com in Florida as a poodle-skirted singer/saxophone player, she mainly chooses to perform only on rare occasions now.  However, every songwriter needs to be able to present his or her own material, and with a long history of performance behind her, Laurie certainly can do that.

Throughout her life, she has won numerous entertainment competitions and performed in several plays and musicals. She also worked her way through college at the University of Kentucky www.uky.edu partly by using her voice to perform singing telegrams and as a radio DJ for commercial station Magic 103 and public radio station WUKY www.wuky.org.

Laurie has entertained audiences in the U.S., Bali Island and in Japan. With a powerful, melodic voice and engaging manner, Laurie's vocal and entertainment talents have been in high demand both in the US as well as overseas, and Laurie has recorded TV commercials and voiceovers for numerous foreign and domestic businesses. 

While in Japan, Laurie sang for the U.S. military for several functions and performed for her largest audiences so far at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan www.iwakuni.usmc.mil when she sang for several thousand at a Marine Corps Ball and at Friendship Day www.friendship-day.net -- an open-base event that draws a crowd of over 150,000.  Laurie also loves different languages and cultures and speaks Japanese and French at a conversional level.

"I have expressed myself through music since I was a little girl when my mother and I took long drives and sang songs in the car making up lyrics as we went along. My love for music and singing grew as time passed. I became a closet singer-- I literally sang in my closet because I wanted to cut loose, but I didn't want to disturb anyone. Some of my fondest memories are when I was a young girl singing alone in my bedroom with great conviction to songs like Cher's 'Dark Lady,' Paul McCartney's 'Live and let Die,' Doris Day's 'Three Little Fishes' and Sammy Davis Junior's 'The Candy Man.' How eclectic! 

"Throughout my life, I have performed in numerous plays and musical theater productions. I have always enjoyed the stage. But, I have used my voice in other forums, too. 

"While studying Journalism and English at the University of Kentucky, I used my voice on-air by working first at Magic 103 as a midnight to six DJ and then at public radio station WUKY where I produced my own news pieces and became one of their afternoon-drive hosts. 

"My first brush with comedy came during my junior year in college when I began writing and performing comedy at one of my local hangouts -- Comedy off Broadway www.comedyoffbroadway.com. It was my favorite release from the stress of college life.

"I've played instruments, too, and although I play a few songs on the saxophone now, my primary focus when performing is still singing.  As is the case with many songwriters and singers, my voice is my primary instrument. 

"I have lived and studied in both Switzerland and England, but my longest stay abroad began in 1990 when I moved to Japan. I spent nine years there teaching English in Japanese Junior High Schools, giving speeches, doing voiceovers, copyediting, doing commercials and learning to speak Japanese. 

"The Japanese are the great creators of karaoke and they encouraged my singing. For that, I am eternally grateful. Taihen arigatou gozaimasu. I miss you guys so much! 

"I also spent some time in Bali learning from Balinese performers about stage presence and glamour. Nobody does glamour better than the performers I met in Bali! Thank you for welcoming me backstage to watch and learn while you worked your magic. 

"To everyone around the globe who has influenced my creativity and encouraged me to express myself, I thank you. To everyone who has heard my songs or seen me perform, I hope you enjoyed yourselves and left feeling uplifted."

Laurie is a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution www.dar.org, Elks Club www.elks.org , American Legion Auxiliary www.legion-aux.org , the Kentucky Society of Washington www.kentuckysociety.org and the JET Alumni Association www.jetalumni.org.