About

Hello, my name is CeCi, and I am a coffee and chocolate addict. The secret is out! I grew up in a house full of secrets, and I have found that being authentic and transparent about my past encourages others to open up about their own secrets. I was sexually abused at the age of seven, and my first single, called “House of Secrets” tells that story and exposes many secrets about my own life. Opening up about my past through music has created so many opportunities for me to meet new people and to speak at events and conferences across the Midwest. My story allows me to relate to others and meet them at whatever place they are in life. It gives them a safe space in which to talk about their dysfunction and to motivate themselves to move through it in order to find their passion and their purpose. When I am not singing, writing, recording, or speaking, I can be found at my local church where I serve in the Children’s Department and as a Worship Director.

I was born in the big state of Texas, and I am still a loyal Dallas Cowboys fan. When I was three I moved to the mitten state, and adopted a love for the Michigan State Spartans, but at age 11, my father accepted a Pastoral position at a church in a small Texas town, so we moved back. Living in a house connected to the church, I spent a lot of time exploring all the nooks and crannies. One time, I opened a door to a room, and found a dusty, old, out of tune piano. I initially made noise on the piano just for fun, but eventually, playing that dusty old piano became my escape and writing music my therapy. I would spend hours locked in there pouring out all of my pain and emotions on those poor keys. Every note and word echoed my heart, and over time those words and notes began to intertwine into song. Sitting there in that church with music and emotion pouring out of me, I felt that God was the driving force guiding my fingers and allowing my mind and heart to heal. Music and words allow our hearts to be moved, and songwriting became not only my emotional outlet but also my connection to others who are hurting. My purpose is to help others stop hurting. My passion is what keeps me going, and music keeps my heart dancing. If I can help one person heal through my music and lyrics, then I am doing my job.

Overcoming abuse and finding hope and eventually forgiveness have all been part of my journey to freedom. As a child, I remember sitting at a church youth camp, wiping the floor clean with my tears when I heard a speaker say, “If you don’t forgive, you can’t be free.” That was the moment that I first felt hope – hope that I had the power to overcome my past. It took work, introspection, and the ability to close the door to anger and bitterness, but through that work I was able to find forgiveness, healing, and freedom. All it took was a tiny glimmer of hope. Hope changes, empowers and gives life, and I believe one person’s story is someone else’s hope.

I am currently an advocate for the Edja Foundation – a non-profit organization that helps Ugandan girls who have been sexually abused. My true passion is opening my heart to victims and to people who come from dysfunctional families, so that I can help them thrive, not just survive.

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