Adding training to that gift of heritage, Witten attached an education in classical music. When she was nine, she began violin and flute lessons that lasted well into the end of her teen years. She also learned to play the guitar and was a music major at Ithaca college in New York. Throughout her career, she has continued to learn, taking several workshops along the way and gaining experience that no college or workshop can offer.

Witten began performing professionally near the end of the '70s. She did her first real gig as the flutist in a jazz ensemble. She went on to join a number of pop and folk bands and even an R&B dance band. In 1988, Witten, who had supplemented her performing income for years with jobs that ranged from working in a deli to researcher, put her music dreams aside and found a place for herself in the field of graphic art.

In 1997, fate stepped in and Witten came back to her first love -- music. It was mainly because of news she received, saying she had been chosen to attend a song writing workshop, given by the famous Rosanne Cash, that Witten turned back to music and her songwriting. After that, there seemed no stopping her and no dousing the new flame to succeed that she had this time.

In 1999, Witten won, or placed high, in a number of contests, including the Great American Song Contest, the 16th Mid-Atlantic Song Contest, and others. That same year, she self-released her superb solo debut album, Land of Souvenirs. The first offering carries folk-rock and folk-pop numbers like "Winners and Losers," "Ask Me About Your Dad," and "Second Longest Day of the Year." The album was re-released by the Orchard Records label in 2000. An EP, Prairie Doll, was also finished in 2000. Some of the six tracks available on the EP are "How Long 'Til It's Over," "Level Green Boys," and "Call the Angels."

Witten is a charter member of groups like Indiegirl. She performs at clubs, concert halls, and coffeehouses in the United States, sometimes backed by a band called Prairie Doll. Members are drummer Bill King, bassist Doug Robinson, and guitarist Rich DePaolo. ~ Charlotte Dillon