Writer of most genres, predominantly playwriting Actress Vocalist Storyteller Illustrator 
“I was so fortunate to have had artistic people in my life as a child. At night I was tucked into bed by gifted musicians, singers, writers and storytellers; my parents and aunts and uncles…And they all told wonderful stories, sometimes right from their imaginations, and never told the same story twice. How I loved that, and I always knew deep inside that I was a storyteller too; not just by the love of storytelling alone but by inheritance as well.” – Ife
Doo-Wop Illustration is by Ife – Copyright©2008
Born, raised, and educated in Cleveland, Ohio, Ife’s parents wrote poetry, told and wrote stories, books, sang, performed storytelling and loved history, arts, and culture. They were determined to expose art forms to their children. Her parents intentions were good and the results were four artistic children some multifaceted. Ife also received the tail end of the doo wop sounds as a small child and remembers listening to her older relatives and community singers harmonizing under the streetlights.
Ife never forgot how the songs touched her so deeply, adding to her love and respect of artistic expression. It wouldn’t be long before she too was a member of high school singing groups and a family singing group as well, where she and her brothers composed original songs. This artistic expression lead to poems, then stories. Finally, inspired by her high school’s dramas and musicals, she began acting and creating plays that were presented to certain school classrooms and later would write plays to present on stage or to venues within the community. Ife has earned a B.A. in Dramatic Arts. She has spent several years in NYC learning the odds and ends of theatre and presenting her dramatic works to NY youths and adults. She recently won (summer 2024) a prestigious reading via Frank Silvera Writers Workshop at the International Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina, winning along with 30 other playwrights out of 1200 submissions. This award is highly coveted and sought after among black playwrights. She is honored to be a recipient.
She has written literature of all genres, fiction and non-fiction, have written many plays for all ages, (some of which have been produced), have performed storytelling, acted, has been a solo vocalist, poet, has authored children’s and adults books and is also an illustrator. She offers a one woman show during Women’s History Month that includes original songs. Due to spending several years employed in a large public library and public school setting she learned that children need empowerment to become the best versions of themselves. Therefore, she has designed empowerment storytelling programs to assist in that area. Ife has one daughter and several grandchildren that she utterly adores and feels very fortunate to give them love and share her artistry with them while they look on, wide-eyed and amazed, inspired just as she had been in her youth.