My Story

Hello there, my name is Naomi. My friends call me “Nay,” and if you’re here, you’re a friend! Welcome to my little spot here on the internet.  Not sure what brought you here… perhaps you listened to one of my choral compositions performed by a choir?  Maybe you came to an Oregon Repertory Singers concert and heard me at the piano.  Perhaps you connected with one of my recordings on a Spotify playlist.  Could it be that you heard me sing the anthem at a Portland Timbers game?  Maybe it was playing piano with She’s Speaking or the Oregon Symphony Lullaby Project.  Well… whatever brings you here, I’m GLAD you’re here and thanks for getting connected!

This is just a little informal “my story” page.  If you need an official fancy-schmancy professional bio (with hyperlinks!) then you can find that HERE. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy hearing a bit more about my musical journey, directly from me.

I started playing the piano at age 4, and not too long after discovered I had perfect pitch.  My dad would quiz me from the other room, playing notes on the piano and having me name the pitches.  I don’t know how I have it, or who I might have inherited it from, all I know is that I hear keys like I see colors.  They are just slotted into my brain somehow.  It’s mostly a blessing, and every once in a while, a curse!  Either way, it’s made music a deeply infused and immersive experience for me for as long as I can remember.

I love speaking the “language” of music, and the piano feels like an old friend that grounds me when I’m performing.  I loved it so much, I majored in classical piano performance in college and graduate school. I thought I would primarily teach and accompany other classical musicians for my career, but that ended up being only part of my journey. 

I’ve always loved to sing, and I started writing songs in my early 20s as a way to process strong emotions and experiences.   As I wrote more songs, expanded my piano playing to include jazz, folk, funk and gospel, and learned how to play the guitar, I felt pulled into becoming a performing singer-songwriter.  

At first I struggled with nerves when singing solo for an audience, and I was unsure about presenting my own material.  One of my first gigs was performing jazz monthly at the Heathman Hotel in downtown Portland.  Performing regularly every month for several years was key in helping me with my performance anxiety.  Occasionally, I'd toss an original song in with the jazz standards.

During set breaks folks would always come over and ask me about my songs.  "Is that song on a record?  No?  You should record it!”  After enough encouragement, I worked up the courage to make my first record.  I connected with legendary engineer Dean Baskerville and guitarist Tim Ellis, who brought my songs to life in the recording studio.

Now with 4 albums and multiple singles of original music, I've discovered how incredibly meaningful it is to share original music.  I fill my songs with the stories, emotions, celebrations and struggles of what it means to be human.  It's my passion to make music at the intersection of empathy and creativity.  I’m so grateful for anyone who listens and connects with my songs!

More recently I’ve focused on releasing solo piano compositions (no vocals) under the artist name Lucente Skye.  They have found homes on a variety of relaxing piano music Spotify playlists, and I hope they fill listeners with a sense of peace and calm.  

The longest job I’ve held in the ever-changing landscape of being a free-lance musician is my role as the accompanist for the Oregon Repertory Singers.  I’ve played for this beloved choir since 2004, and it was because of this role that I began composing for choirs.  ORS has premiered many of my choral compositions over the years and included them in their recordings.  I now have pieces published by Santa Barbara Publishing, and it brings me so much joy to have choirs all over the world commissioning and performing my works.  

I also love helping other people preserve their music, particularly folks facing terminal or debilitating illnesses.  You may have already heard of one of these projects called “Saving His Music.”  It was featured on CBS Sunday morning, and I’m always connecting with new folks that saw that story.  It’s such a privilege to celebrate another person’s compositions and share them with the world before they are lost.  I call these “Music Legacy Projects.”  

My performance schedule usually has a menagerie of jazz, folk and classical gigs throughout Portland, OR and surrounding areas, with all sorts of musicians from acoustic trios to the Oregon Symphony.  I sing the National Anthem regularly for events and conventions.  The variety keeps me going and the busyness makes me a little crazy sometimes (just ask my husband!).  

When I’m NOT making music…  I’m probably trying to keep up with my teenage kids, gardening, roasting coffee beans, riding a mountain bike, on a pair of skis, or hiking somewhere in beautiful Oregon with my husband John.  

Music has and always will be a life-blood force to me.  It connects us to each other and the dimensions beyond our five senses.  I am eternally grateful for this life of music.  Friend, thanks for being here and I hope to see you out there at a show!