Rebecca Phelps lives in Hatfield with her life partner Ann Michaels. She has two grown sons, Abe – a physics teacher who lives in Amherst with his wife and 2 sons, and Sacha who lives in Orlando Florida and is a professional violinist. Rebecca has been a life-long resident of the Pioneer Valley having spent most of her growing up years in Amherst in a very musical family. She is a third generation graduate of Smith College, Ada Comstock ’85, Summa Cum Laude. Both her mother and grandmother went there! While at Smith, she majored in music and studied piano with Lori Wallfisch. Her graduate degree is from Hartt School of Music in Choral Conducting. For the past 30 years, she has been teaching general music, chorus, piano and music theory primarily in the public schools, as well as private schools and area colleges. For 10 years, she served as the choir director and organist for Wesley Methodist Church – formerly of Amherst, now of Hadley. She also has an extensive background in musical theatre having musically directed many community and school productions in the valley. In June 2017, she retired as choral director from Hampshire Regional High School and although she enjoyed the newly found time to spend with grandkids in Amherst and her 94 year old mother, Rebecca found that she was profoundly missing her true calling – which is music! Rebecca is thrilled to have the opportunity to share, inspire, celebrate and worship with you through music at First Churches.