Valerie-Jean Hume

Valerie-Jean Hume, or "VJ" is a graduate of Canada's University of Saskatchewan's Fine Arts program in 1966. She went to Toronto to broadcast on national CBC Radio and appearing in musical comedy revues, TV movies, and Children's Theatre from the start. She recorded audio books, acted in a worldwide TV series "Paul Bernard, Psychiatrist", and became a puppeteer. She wrote a weekly newspaper column, taught Theatre Arts at a girls' finishing school, earned her pilot's license, taught speed-reading, and was a professional photographers model. She created the first-ever Professional Modeling course in North America for Sheridan Community College. The program produced "Miss Canada" finalists every year. During this time she studied equestrian arts, languages, and even obtained a bullfighting certificate in Spain. Always a musician, she mastered the auto-harp, a rare and beautiful instrument. She eventually created a teaching video of her novel techniques and was rewarded by having a line named after her (The Hume Harp) by the manufacturer. She traveled the world with it, working on nine cruise ships. She recorded, singing in ten languages. At sea she taught stargazing to passengers and performed duties as a hostess. She arrived in Palm Springs in 1987 to sing for six weeks, but never left. She recorded thee more CDs and learned to play the Celtic harp. She appeared in Las Vegas as a celebrity look-alike, saluting Tammy Wynette, June Carter-Cash, Lorrie Morgan, and Julie London. For 18 years VJ hosted a celebrity interview radio show on KWXY AM/FM. She has won awards such as "Athena" and "Presswoman of the Year". She currently teaches a "Skills for Success" course for adults at the Indio Performing Arts Center.