Līves Wide Open

Alison Bert

is a writer who previously made her living as a classical guitarist and music professor.

From 2000 to 2007, she was a reporter for The Journal News — the daily newspaper and Web site for Westchester, Putnam and Rockland counties in New York.

In the previous century, she was a Fulbright Scholar in Spain and one of 12 guitarists worldwide selected to study with Andrés Segovia in his historic master class of 1986. She went on to earn a doctorate in music from the University of Arizona and perform solo and chamber music on four continents. While teaching at Syracuse University, she wrote concert reviews for The Post-Standard and earned a master's degree in journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications.

Portrait of Alison by Greg Bottali