Artist Profile: Valerie Von Fange
Valerie Von Fange was
born in Northern Virginia, but raised in California, where she lived until her
late 30s. One of eight kids from parents married over 50 years, she feels
blessed to be part of a close family rooted in the Catholic faith.
Valerie’s formal musical development began in 1973 at age twelve when she
started taking classical piano. Her parents devoted time and money without
hesitation because they knew what was necessary to keep the wheels moving for
their young driven artist. In 1979, at seventeen, Valerie headed south to
Pepperdine University in Malibu, and in 1983, she earned a Bachelors in Business
Management while still pursuing music on the side.
Valerie's first real career move was back to Northern California as a restaurant
manager. At that time, she began leading church choirs. In 1987, she headed
downstream once again, landing a sales support job in high-tech while also
tackling the demands of single-parenthood. During her off hours, she could be
found playing in church services, dances, concerts, convalescent homes and
dabbling in song-writing. Life was good but not quite hitting the spot. She
loved the warmer waters and beaches of the Southern Pacific but longed for her
family and better job mobility. So five years later, in 1992, back north she
headed, this time for good. In 1993, she released Thy Kingdom Come, a project
inspired by a religious pilgrimage to Medjugorje, Bosnia. All the while, she
climbed the high-tech ladder from corporate training to sales engineering to
marketing and then decided there had to be something more...
And so in 1999, after fifteen years of working in high-tech, Valerie was ready
for a switch. Her next destination-- Northern Virginia, a full circle from where
her life began. Her decision to move into high-school teaching was prompted by
the intrinsic need to transfer knowledge. Through another teacher, Valerie met
her destiny man and they married in 2003. Valerie’s husband, Tom, believed in
her dream of recording a professional CD in Nashville. And with his support and
song-writing talent (though Tom's a furniture-maker by trade), he helped make
that dream come true. The pen and keys started to move while Valerie searched
inward for a theme that would address the needs of modern society and also be
influenced by her life’s experience. Next, she found a producer (Robin Ruddy of
Parlor Productions) who was willing to let her co-produce the project. In 2005,
Steadfast Love was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. This second release
reinforced her artistic objective to shed a new perspective on Contemporary
Christian music, one that would encompass the fullness of Christ’s teachings.
Steadfast Love draws from the teachings of the Church and lives of the Saints,
enveloping a deeper understanding of what it takes to practice committed love.
As a musician today, Valerie has been able to combine her years of classical
training with a contemporary sound that tantalizes the ears. Her venues include
church concerts/services, retirement homes, restaurants, and festivals.