Mother, singer, songwriter, massage therapist, holistic practitioner, cancer survivor

She calls herself the "Jill of All Trades." And that's exactly what she is.

She's a mother, singer, songwriter, certified massage therapist, yoga instructor and holistic practitioner; and that's just naming a few of her talents.

Jill Schneider was born and raised in New York. She graduated from college and began teaching at a local elementary school. It was at that time that she started playing the guitar.

"I graduated college in the '60s and was becoming a teacher. I needed an instrument to bring to class," she said. "Folk music was in, so I decided to learn the guitar. I don't go anywhere without it now."

After 10 years of teaching, she moved to Miami, where she took a job working as a counselor with the mentally ill. One year after moving to South Florida, she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

"It was a wake-up call for me. I was 29 and didn't have any children. If I took the approach they wanted me to, I might not ever have kids," Schneider, 56, said. "I chose to go the alternative route, something I had no prior experience with."

She quickly made macrobiotics, a natural diet and lifestyle system based on the oriental principles of yin and yang and their presence in whole, organic foods, a part of her life. One month later she went to Peru and Venezuela for three months with close friends.

"I carried my own cooking utensils and brown rice in my backpack, and I supplemented my diet with organic vegetables grown by the indigenous people whose villages we visited," she said. "Walking through ancient ruins and sleeping in primitive dwellings, I began to feel a sense of clarity about my life. I believe it was a major component in my healing to break away from the routines and unhealthy energy of my life back home at that time."

She returned from South America, made an appointment with a doctor and received very good news.

"The test came back normal, which the doctor told me was no guarantee that it was gone permanently. But I knew better," she said. "I've had a pap test every year since and it's never come back. Two and a half years after learning the cancer was gone, I gave birth to my son Aaron."

After her son was born, Schneider and her husband moved to Northern Florida. A few years later the couple divorced.

"After living practically a homeless lifestyle, Aaron and I found ourselves being taken in by (musician) Bo Diddley and his family," she said. "We helped take care of the ranch and his family. It was an incredible experience for us both."

While staying with Diddley and his family, she started getting back into her music.

"He always encouraged me to play for the children," Schneider said. "I started to write more songs and ended up creating Annie Sunbeam, which is a singing cowgirl character I continue to use today to entertain children. Through music, she teaches about healing ourselves and the earth."

During her stay with Diddley, she also met a tai chi instructor who taught her the art of barefoot massage, something she will be doing at the upcoming Hatsume Festival at the Morikami Museum on Feb. 23 to 24.

Schneider and her son spent a year with the Diddley family before coming to Delray Beach, where she began Circle of Life Holistic Programs. The program focuses on holistic education such as detoxification, and anti-aging using yoga, massage therapy, and energy healing for lay people and professional therapists.

"I teach yoga for couples, too," she said. "I even created something I call YOMA, a combination of yoga and massage."

On March 16, she can be seen at the Milagro Center teaching the effects of music on babies, another art Schneider has mastered.

However, the majority of her time is spent playing her guitar and singing for children and seniors. She frequents hospices, assisted living facilities and day care centers as well as private parties.

"Annie Sunbeam entertains the children, but for the seniors I've created a show called A Journey of American Music from the Civil War Era to the 1940s," said Schneider. "These are songs that they heard so much when they were children that they are embedded in their memory. No matter what illness they suffer, they always retrieve the memory of the songs. It's great to see."

Even with the busy schedule Schneider keeps, she still finds time to bike ride, hike, travel and pursue other goals.

"I just got a grant to work with the Palm Beach County schools, helping teachers to integrate art into the curriculum," she said. "I'm working on a CD of songs for healing, too."

Those are quite a few hats. And she wears them all with grace.

From Healcancer.com