WhyVonne’s life with music began at a small all-girls boarding school on the Corsica River in Centreville, Maryland. The school had only 80 students, with 13 in her graduating class. She lived in the Middleton Building, an old Victorian-style home said to be haunted by its namesake, Aunt Mary Middleton.

Another student had a guitar and a book of popular songs. With no teacher—and long before YouTube—WhyVonne laid the guitar flat, studied the dots in the chord diagrams, and placed her fingers where they showed. The first song she learned was “Eleanor Rigby,” playing its two chords over and over. She took the guitar to bed, spent weekends playing instead of socializing, and practiced until her fingers bled. Whenever she met someone who played, she asked them to quickly show her something new.

After graduation, she took a few lessons and began playing music around Richmond. Then family became her priority, and although her guitar always remained nearby, there was little time to play.

Nearly 30 years later, she picked it up again and fell in love with it all over. Today, WhyVonne writes something every day—sometimes three or four songs when inspiration hits. Voice Memos capture ideas before they disappear, and instead of waiting for the perfect guitar riff, she usually begins with the words and lets the lyrics lead the music.

With more than 500 songs, WhyVonne isn’t chasing fame. Closet Songs is about leaving a legacy—preserving the stories, lessons, and wisdom of a life through music.