Joette Giorgis was introduced to music in the fourth grade, learning to play trumpet, then piano. At 15, she bought her first guitar and is proficient at guitar and ukelele. A professional musician who plays at local events and teaches others, she says that music has become the primary focus in her life. “I see my guitar as a friend, and I don’t go anywhere without it.”

Talk to Mark Barnes and it will most likely be about the latest festival and events at the Port St. Lucie Botanical Gardens where he is a board member. Or, he might be mulling ideas for a colorful new event poster.

Terry Taylor started working on the farm his family sharecropped about the time he started school. His father, also a builder and longshoreman, especially enjoyed serving as a church deacon.

Jordan Kahle was born at the Naval Submarine Base in Groton, Connecticut, but his father’s postings kept the family moving.