About

My intention is to be both a reliable, organized member of the band as well as a lighthearted, magical presence, sprinkling delight and inspiration into people's lives. My goal is to help others find a blissful escape from the everyday cares of life. That's why story-telling and classic themes like pirates and Celtic roots are playfully woven into the music. A story, whether silly or heartfelt, can take you away to so many wondrous places. None of this would be possible without the collaboration with Verlene. We are individually strong, but together we are magic!

I have been a lifelong, full-time musician, teaching piano, voice, and music theory lessons to students of all ages since I was 20. I am incredibly grateful for the inspiration from my teachers, especially Jeffrey Chappell and Mickey McGuire. My most proud accomplishment is the number of people I have inspired with a love of music.

I grew up in Cheshire, Connecticut. My Dad was a hard-working, sports-loving Irish American. My Mom is of Scottish/British descent, a brilliant redhead with a keen mind even in her 90s. She was a drum majorette, a dancer, and a fighter for the rights of my handicapped sister, Robin. I am the third of four children, and I knew at 12 that I was a musician, performer, and teacher.

As a child and teen, I learned piano, guitar, organ, and singing, and became active in Masquers Theater, a local music theater group in Waterbury, CT. I played lead roles, was a rehearsal pianist, and played piano in the pit orchestras for numerous shows. when the show "Jesus Christ, Superstar" was chosen, I was cast as Mary Magdalene, but the director pulled me aside and said, "You may want to look at the piano score before making your decision." She was so right! It was a life-changing experience! I was 17 years old, playing piano with a full stage pit band, including a rock band and Mellotron.

Since then:

I graduated with a BA in Music from the University of Maryland.
I studied voice with Mickey McGuire at Catholic University in Washington, DC.
I studied and still study piano with the incredible Jeffrey Chappell.

I have taught music at:

Howard Community College in Columbia, MD (Voice, Theory, Music Appreciation, and Continuing Education)
Columbia School of Theatrical Arts (Vocal Instructor, Music Director)
The Columbia School of Music (Piano and Voice)

As an entrepreneur, I created these businesses:

Noblemusic Enterprises in Maryland (Music Classes)
DC Express, a jazz group, focused on four-part vocal harmonies with a swinging' jazz combo
Miss Lynda's Music Lessons in California (Piano, Vocal, and Music Theory)

As a performer:

Gaelic Muses (Founder, 2015; Keys, Singer, Guitarist, Harp, Leader)
Celtic Soul (Keys, Singer, Guitarist, Harp)
DC Express (Founder, Soprano)
West End Dinner Theater
Burnbrae Dinner Theater
Baltimore Opera Chorus
Grace United Methodist Church Sopranot Soloist
Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church Soprano Soloist (WBAL Radio Show, Baltimore, MD)

I want Celtic Moon to be the foundation on which you can build a great night out. It's an intimate interaction, a feeling like we are sitting in the living room by the fireplace, enjoying making music and hearing songs together.

Slainte!

Lynda

Lynda Noble MacNeil

Lynda MacNeil

Verlene Schermer

Verlene harp

The Early Years
My musical journey began when I was 4 years old and my mother started giving piano lessons to my older brother, Duane. After he finished practicing, I would often climb up on the piano bench on my knees and play his songs by ear. Duane was not happy. One day he complained, "Mom, Verlene is playing my songs again and she has the book upside down!" Mom put a stop to my "playing just by ear" by starting me on my own set of piano books so that I would learn to read music properly -- but I secretly continued to play a lot by ear... That same year, I had my singing debut at a mother-daughter luncheon at the church accompanied by my mom on piano. I sang "M-O-T-H-E-R" and thought that every little girl sang with their mommies.

The Legacy Continues
We got to choose a band or orchestra instrument in the 3rd grade, and I chose violin. I was the youngest member of the district orchestra that admitted only 4th through 6th graders (but made an exception for me). In Junior High, I played violin solos accompanied by my mom on piano during the district orchestra concerts. In my junior and senior years of high school I was concert mistress. But during practice room sectionals with the 2nd chair violinist, we often pulled out pop books and played the piano and sang in harmony...

I took over Dad's guitar in 7th grade and also picked up cello that same year. By the time I was a teen, I was playing guitar and singing folk songs and original songs in local coffee-houses. And I never stopped picking up new instruments -- so today, in addition to piano, violin, and guitar, I play Celtic harp, mandolin, tenor banjo, ukulele, concertina, Swedish nyckelharpa, Swedish Cittra (a zither), Norwegian hardingfele, harp-guitar, and treble viola da gamba.

Awards and Accomplishments:
After taking up the Celtic harp, I quickly entered the harp world doing workshops and concerts at national and international harp conferences. I placed third in the Lyon & Healy Jazz and Pop Festival competition in 1997. I won a position on the "Best Stories Ever Told" for my story of an Irish harper, which included singing in Gaelic with harp accompaniment at SJSU in 1995. More recently, three of my original song videos placed in the top 10 in the MasterPeace competition in 2014, and I was featured in the Heart Chakra Podcast with Jay Michaels in 2021 with interviews and music from my CDs. During 2021 and 2022, several of my original songs were featured in the "Women of Substance" radio broadcast.

As a Performer:
In addition to performing with Celtic Moon, I currently perform as a solo artist and also with my traditional jazz band, Parlez-vous Jazz, my flute and harp duo, Silverwood, and The Verlene Schermer Band.

Past performance bands include:

Local Hero (a fun 6 piece dance band in which I was lead singer and band leader)
Nykken (a Scandinavian trio in which I arranged much of the music, played several of my unusual stringed instruments, and sang in Swedish)
To the Moon (a vocal trio that sang a capella jazz a la Andrew Sisters, as well as Celtic and modern pop music with harps, guitar, and a sprinkling of other instruments)

I've also performed in duos with these fine musicians:

Jim Nichols
Neal Hellman
Aryeh Frankfurter
Barbary Grant

In addition to my public performances, I have been a hospital musician at Stanford Hospital and Cancer Center since 2003 playing soothing music for patients at their bedsides on my double-strung Celtic harp.

As a Recording Artist:
My original songs have been described as "thought-provoking" and "inspiring." They cover a wide range of themes from dreaming, visioning, and the creative process, to observations about modern living and social issues. These songs can be heard on my 6 solo recordings. In addition to my CDs of original songs, I have recorded 3 CDs of traditional music. Both Silverwood and Nykken have also recorded CDs. All CDs are available on my website!

As a Teacher:
In addition to my busy schedule of private students and online workshops, I have been a clinician for workshops throughout the country and in Europe. I teach voice, harp, guitar, piano, violin, nyckelharpa, mandolin, ukulele, music theory, songwriting, improvisation, and composing. See my current workshop schedule!

Celtic Moon
I love the vocal blend Lynda and I have together in Celtic Moon! I also love that I get to play several of my favorite instruments, and that we play a variety of musical genres, all with a Celtic connection. Rehearsals are fun, and musically exciting as we collaborate on song arrangements!

Our Logo

Our logo was created by the fabulously talented artist and harpist, Deb Knodel. She worked closely with us to bring in all the elements we wanted in a logo to represent the many aspects of our music:

The Moon is a symbol of the feminine, and the rhythm of time. It is a reflection of sunlight, illuminating, and ever-changing. It is a force that pulls the tides, as well as our emotions.

The Wolf represents wisdom, strength, communication, and family. The Native Wolf Symbol represents loyalty, strong family ties, good communication, education, understanding, and intelligence. Of all the land animals, the wolf has the strongest supernatural powers and is the most accomplished hunter. The Celts believed the wolf to be a powerful symbol of the moon. It was associated with transformation and intuition.

The Celtic Knot with three points is called a triquetra, which to us represents the triple goddess symbol of past, present, and future, or the three ages of womanhood: Maiden, Mother, & Crone. It also represents the Celtic concept of land, sea, and sky.

The Shooting Star stands for energy, motion, surprise. For many the shooting star is a connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.

The Colors:

Midnight Blue projects sophistication and elegance. Its association with formal occasions and royalty conveys confidence, power, and authority, while it's deep hue can also seem dark and mysterious.

Shining Silver represents innovation. It has traditionally been viewed as a distinguished color -- one associated with wealth, glamour, grace, and elegance. As a metal, silver also represents innovation, refinement, sleekness, and sophistication.

Fiery Red represents action, passion, and energy. More characteristics: confidence, curiosity, strength, and courage.

Golden Yellow is for success, achievement, and triumph, but also higher ideals such as wisdom, understanding, and spirituality. It adds richness and warmth. It is optimistic and positive.