Nancy Schwart Reid, Pianist

“Let All My Life Be Music” could well be the title of a song in Nancy's life.

How We Met

The worlds of Nancy S. Reid and David (TortoiseClimbing Audio™) came together through Nancy’s accompaniment of the Alexandria Singers. David, Terry and Karen had all sung with both the Alexandria Singers and the small group Sentimental Journey.

Terry Hamilton and David began recording duets together at Bias Recording Studio, and wanted a live accompanist (Karen Davis joined us on a couple). Karren Davis directed us to contact the accompanist for the Alexandria Singers, Nancy S. Reid. She agreed and as the old saying goes, the rest is history.

Nancy’s Bio

Her main profession was as a private piano teacher for over 50+ years. However, Nancy also had an illustrious career both as a concert pianist and a professional accompanist.

Born Nancy Schwart in Alhambra, California in 1938, she knew very early music was important to her. She demonstrated her rare music ability by playing by ear at age 3, surprising her family with how well she played the nursery rhymes and Christmas carols sung to her.

Formal piano lessons began at age 8 and continued through High School. She became the accompanist for the high school Women's Glee Club and A Cappella Choir. At graduation, she performed 1^st movement of the Schumann A Minor Concerto with the high school orchestra.

Nancy attended LA City College. While there received a scholarship to Whittier College, where she studied piano performance. While at Whittier College, she met the love of her life, Wilson Reid. They married before graduation and she never looked back.

Their first residence was Berkeley, California where her husband received his MA at the University of California at Berkeley. Their first child was born there, a beautiful daughter. While there she worked at the University as accompanist for their Treble Clef Society and Mixed Chorus. She also accompanied the Oakland Light Opera Association.

Next they moved to Sunnyvale, California where she was known both in her Church and in the community as a fine teacher and organist and piano accompanist. While there a little son was born to them.

Next move was Pennsylvania, where Nancy worked with a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Their move to Falls Church, Virginia was the longest period of their married life, 33 years. During that time, Nancy not only taught piano, but also accompanied a number of well-known D.C. area choral groups:

• The Alexandria Choral Society;
• The Alexandria Singers, a well-known show tune choir, with which she toured Russia and Estonia in 1993. On that trip she soloed in the famous Glinka Capella in St. Petersburg. She was accompanist and soloist for 22 years for the Singers;
• The Mormon Choir of Washington D.C. for 20 years:
• The U.S. Air Force Orchestra, with which she performed the Mozart Concerto (No. 19) at Mary Washington College in 1983; and
• The Washington Singers and Players, with which she toured the U.S. as accompanist and harpsichordist. They performed in Town Hall, New York.

They moved to Florida where Nancy formally retired and freelanced, but continued serving in the Church as organist, choir director and accompanist.

Nancy's husband of 62 years passed in 2021. She is the mother of two and has 13 grandchildren. Her grandchildren are now building families of their own and Nancy will soon welcome a new great grand baby, who will be 24th in the line.

Everywhere they lived she served in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as an organist, choir accompanist and choir director, which she continues doing to this day.

She now lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona.

"Let All My Life Be Music" came true for this musician, for which she is most grateful.

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