About the Artists
Jen Simon
Jen Simon is a lifelong pianist and explorer. She fondly remembers playing the piano throughout her childhood, but she decided to try a different path in college, majoring in Business and earning a minor in Music from Nazareth University. As she navigated the business world, she realized her true passion was music, so she returned to school, earning Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education from George Mason University. For 16 years, Jen had a private piano studio for children through adults, and she taught general music in the Loudoun County, Virginia, public school system, including after school theater programs where she composed pieces for her students’ stage presentations. After retiring from teaching, Jen moved to composing full-time and learned to orchestrate and arrange her songs. The artistic creations presented here are the product of her years of experimenting with different styles, genres, and techniques. Jen travels often with her husband, George, particularly to the US national parks, where they gain inspiration from the beauty and power of nature.
George Simon III
George Simon III is a lifelong writer and explorer. His seventh-grade teacher kindled his passion for prose, but, as a practical guy, George chose to study engineering, receiving undergraduate and graduate degrees from Vanderbilt University and Georgia Institute of Technology. After retiring from a career in the US Army, George finally settled on writing poetry. Friends and family know from his numerous postcards that he was practicing his writing skills throughout his life, and the prose presented here is drawn from his quite varied life experiences. George also enjoys photography and using the ever-expanding menu of programs to create unique images. He travels often with his wife, Jen, gaining inspiration from beauty of natural places around the world, but, most recently, from the US national parks.