When Mary Ann Wilkinson walks into the room, you can almost hear the angels sing. That’s because Mary Ann’s entire life, before becoming a Practitioner at NVC, involved the creation of music.
Mary Ann was born October 26 in Howell, Michigan. She arrived in Arizona on Memorial Day weekend in 2007. She was one of the first women principal timpanists/percussionists in the symphony orchestra world in this country when she landed her first job in 1975. She said that, over the years, she has gratefully watched the gender bias slowly evolve and begin to dissolve.
“I loved my musical career for 32 years, and was privileged to spend the last 20 years before moving to Phoenix in Washington, DC, playing extra with the National Symphony, theWashington Opera, and many other orchestras and artists. I got to travel, play in the finest concert halls with famous conductors, and even play on a Grammy-winning recording or two,” Mary Ann recalled fondly.
Why did she give it up? Mary Ann said that she got tired of the hours of practicing and was ready to move on to something new – like SOM! After taking six CSL classes, Mary Ann wanted to put what she had learned about the Science of Mind philosophy into practice and assist others in deepening into the teaching.
Mary Ann really enjoys being a part of the NVC Community and being present on Sunday mornings, or whenever she’s called, to support the congregation – whether it’s assisting in the service or receiving prayer requests, she finds it’s all very satisfying. She has also enjoyed working in the NVC office for about 2 1/2 years as head of the Office Angels. She finds it interesting to be a part of the day-to-day operation of the Center.
Why do the SOM principles appeal to Mary Ann? Mary Ann said that she is fully centered in the truth that the Divine is present and waiting to be revealed in everything and every moment, no matter what the circumstances…that we create our own reality.
When Mary Ann is not of service to our Community, being a “retired” musician, she likes to attend concerts and support live music in all kinds of venues from the MIM to the Rhythm Room. She also likes to cook and bake. What’s better than a kitchen full of music and cookies