SOPRANO/ALTO

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Cal Armistead has taken lessons in flute, piano, trumpet, drums and clarinet.  She plays none of these instruments.  This music-lesson dropout plays a little self-taught guitar, and for special occasions, cowbell.  But mostly, she sings.  Cal has sung with choirs big and small, featuring every kind of music from madrigals to showtunes to rock. She has sung with bands in upstate New York and Chicago, and currently sings lead vocals with the local blues/jazz/rock band Benjamin Road.  She met her husband Tedford in college choir, and is happy to continue making music with him in Custom Blend.  When not singing, Cal works as a writer and voice-over actress. 
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Sherry Ryder grew up singing in church choirs and school choruses including the New Jersey All-State chorus, the Connecticut College Chorus and 13 years with the Masterworks Chorale of Lexington. She has also been active with Theatre III in Acton for over 30 years, playing everything from a blushing bride to a kinky Roman courtesan and currently serving on the Board of Directors. But singing with Custom Blend beats it all for sheer fun and challenge – it’s the culmination of all those years singing.
After working at Digital Equipment/Compaq as an HR Manager for 22 years, Sherry now owns and manages CambridgeWear, a woman’s clothing store in Acton. (www. cambridgewear.net) She lives in Acton with her wonderful husband Tom and also has 3 grown daughters and 7 grandchildren.
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Laura Franc: Laura grew up singing at home, at church, wherever she could get away with it.  She began singing in opera productions in high school and continued through university, most notably with Opera Sacra in Buffalo, New York.  She has been a church musician and cantor for … a long time!  Decades!  She believes firmly that music adds its own spiritual dimension to prayer that cannot be expressed any other way.  She has been part of the musical team backing major composers at the Future of the American Church Conference in Washington, DC, and for a tri-state Voice of the Faithful Conference in New York, each attended by approximately 6,000 people.  She has been co-Director of a contemporary music ministry in Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey and now in Massachusetts. She was a lead singer in the classic rock bands Quintessence and Equinox, playing throughout northern New Jersey.  She sang the role of the Astrologess in the premiere of “The Elementary Principles,” a contemporary opera by Michael Kosch, which debuted in New York City in 2002.  While she loved performing more recently in “Nunsense” and “Crazy for You,” her favorite role was that of the Mother in “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” as this resonates deeply with her real-life role as the mother of a special-needs child.  Laura met her husband (and two other Custom Blend singers) many years ago in the Allegheny College Choir, and decided a tenor was a handy thing to have around.  Laura and her husband Bernie have been making beautiful music together ever since.
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Carol Millard, soprano, performs extensively throughout the Boston area. She has performed as both chorus member and soloist with Handel & Haydn Society and the Cantata Singers. Other credits include the Countess in The Marriage of Figaro with Lowell Opera, Julie in Showboat with Commonwealth Opera, Gasperina in la Canterina with Operafest and as a cast member with Opera un Met. A lover of new opera, she has premiered several new works with Acting Singers Project. She is delighted to explore more contemporary and popular styles with Custom Blend.
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Kathie Renzhofer has always loved to sing, whether belting out songs along with the radio or singing with a choir. Her earliest musical memories are of her grandmother’s porch, where she’d sing as her uncle played guitar. Throughout her school years, Kathie sang in madrigal and a cappella choirs and as well as several quartet festivals and musical productions.  Kathie’s best all-time “gig” was singing her favorite family lullabies to her two beautiful daughters every night and then later to her granddaughter. 
At her parent’s 50th wedding anniversary she and her daughter sang these same lullabies together and there wasn’t a dry eye in the house.

After moving to New England from Utah, Kathie was looking for a musical outlet and joined the remarkable Nashoba Valley Chorale where she met Tom and Sherry Ryder. This happy meeting led her to Custom Blend. Kathie is thrilled to have the opportunity to sing with Custom Blend and is looking forward to years of “blending”. When not singing, Kathie spends as much time as she can with her granddaughter, whose passion is also singing, and her wonderful supportive husband, Marty, and their two dogs.  Kathie is an employee benefit insurance consultant with more than 30 years of experience.