At 15, Delores Hershey opted out of the multi-activity treadmill so many American kids find themselves on. An accomplished classical musician, figure skater, competitive runner, piano teacher, and church pianist with an exhausting schedule, she knew something had to give. Hershey is extremely grateful for the activities her parents allowed her to be involved in, such as being a gymnast and a competitive swimmer; however, "One night I just crashed," she says. "My dad asked me what I wanted to do, and I said, 'I want to focus on my music.'" From that moment on, the talent, passion, and energy that had filled her calendar with so many activities became focused on music. Since that epiphany, she has never looked back. Hershey went on to gain experience in both classical ensembles, church concerts, and night club bands, performing a repertoire that has varied from Bach to Lynyrd Skynyrd, becoming along the way one of today's most intriguing performers. She brings world-class vocal and instrumental abilities to bear on a passionate performing style. She is no less than incredible showman, as likely to be atop her piano playing her violin as seated at it. "I'm likely to make a spectacle of myself," she says with a grin, "but to me that's one of the cool aspects of performing." She grew up on a farm in a Michigan family that had just left an Amish community to embrace conservative Christianity. She began playing piano at 5 and violin at 7, and she and her family spent several years singing on weekends at area churches. Delores took over being the church pianist at the tender age of 13, where her father was head deacon and song leader. Her father, who, she says, "was still in the Amish frame of mind," frowned on secular music, except for occasional old-school country of the Patsy Cline/George Jones variety, which he had embraced since the days when he would sneak off to listen to it as a boy. It was music Hershey would come to embrace whole-heartedly. As a teen, she sang country and pop in talent shows and gospel in the school chapel. Meanwhile, she was becoming an accomplished instrumentalist, playing the cello and earning superior ratings in statewide competitions on piano, tuba, and violin. She would go on to be part of the Jackson Youth Symphony and her college's chamber orchestra. She began her college education at Pensacola Christian College in Florida studying music then transferring to Spring Arbor University in Michigan. While attending college in Michigan, she recorded a song called "Something Beautiful," which she wrote about her brother, who has Down's Syndrome, a cause about which she is also passionate. The song got heavy airplay and actually hit 1 locally. After graduating with a double major in piano performance and piano pedagogy, she sang lead and played keyboards for a local band whose repertoire included Shania Twain, Patsy Cline, the Eagles and pop standards like "Misty," and fronted two other club bands with set lists that stretched from Skynyrd to Celine Dion. Those gigs, she says, "reaffirmed my love for all kinds of music, but in the end I came back to country, which is my roots." Growing up on a farm and with parents who love country music, Delores notes, "I really didn't stand a chance to not sing and play country music." She and her husband moved for a time to Orlando, where she worked on a project with Mark Goff, who had worked with the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, then moved to Nashville, where she has pursued a country career in earnest. She leans toward a classic country sound with a bit of a “rock ‘n roll” edge, while her performing style is pure country overdrive. She brings to both a tenacity born of passion. Catching the ear of some publishers, Delores has even had the privilege of having a few of her original songs published. She is currently playing her violin in the Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, and is performing every week by playing the piano and singing at local venues in Nashville. "I don't ever quit," she says, "because my drive comes straight out of my love for music and for performing. I'm here to stay."Delores is currently teaching piano in the Nashville area, as well as offering musical entertainment for parties, weddings, receptions, etc... Please contact, if interested.

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