My name is originally Anita Ingrida Cepure....noone could pronounce it....people used Ingrid Neilson in New York, and legally my first name is still Anita. My real name is very difficult for most people to pronounce..my stepfather, Lou Berrios, called me "love", and that's my favorite...

Yes. Whereever possible. I have wonderful memories of people around the world for it, especially when I worked near the United Nations in New York, at Cafe Versailles, Le Onde's and La Magneta and got to meet so many people, let alone on tour.

It's a great way to access all the music you love and get a glimpse of new stuff out there.

I've performed in a variety of different venues, from church and school, to rock bands and orchestras, to restaurants and a dinner theatre, working with Broadway Producer Mark Schwartz. I've met alot of great people, am inspired by people I meet and places I've been, performed with some really amazing talent. From Kansas to South Dakota, Philadelphia to Chicago, New York to abroad, seeing Alaska, the West Coast, Mexico, South America, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Sweden. Even in free time, in New York, I played with different bands who could play anything, anytime, anywhere, no rehearsal. I worked at places like Cafe Versailles, Joe Kipness Pier 52, Dionysis, Movenpick, and the Penn Lounge at the Statler, even getting to perform at the New York Plaza through Ned Koza. I was fortunate to have a number of great talent agents, including Hal Kaye and Don Tabler, doing a few modelling jobs through Charles V. Ryan. People like them make life worthwhile. My agents are invaluable and unforgetable. Tommy Lapins in Chicago, Dan Dupree, and Conductor Duckwall were tremendously influencial and supportive, as was Paul Hands in Steamboat Springs. Although they weren't professional talent agents, they freely helped me have opportunities to perform, as did Sol Dentisi, jazz violinist who asked me to accompany him for his Knights of Columbus Concerts. Some stuff in life can really be really hard to deal with, like a broken heart, or shattered dreams, but finding the things that make it worthwhile is where it's at, for me. My children and my music, and performing for such great people as have been supportive is what makes live worth living.

Some of the highlights of my career, though, were performing on the Joey Adams show in New York or working with Mark Schwartz's illustrious staff in Steamboat Springs, CO at Club Majiks. Also, getting to meet Flip Wilson in person when I was playing on the same cruise ship as the All Cool Jazz Festival, featuring Dizzy Gillespie and Joe Williams. My mother even had me play for Maestro Buschelicha at the Metropolitan Opera, who was terrifically supportive, while she studied there. I'd get longwinded if I started listing all the amazing talent I've been surrounded with all my life...starting with my own mom, Astrida Neilson Berrios and grandmother, Elivira Neilson.

Depends on the style. I like rock, blues, r&b, and classical music. Rock artists like Steven Tyler from Aerosmith and Eddie Van Halen from Van Halen all had very healthy classical music training. Some accomplished rock artists that I admire, like Slash, do crossover to blues as well. My first rock albums were Black Sabbath and Three Dog Night, and I have always loved Ozzy Osbourne.

New York, Stockholm, Aruba, Cartehena, Jamaica, Chicago, Lindsborg, KS. and Marquette, KS.

Yamaha PSR-320, Kohler and Campbell, (or whatever piano is available) a Baby Brute amp and occasionally a mike.

Wouldn't be able to get this stuff going without the help of Barry, Sarah and Brittany. Also check out http://www.xanga.com/anitaingridneilson. Also, special thanks to the artists of the Internet....you are amazing and truly inspiring. Thank you for sharing your talents, too.