Phyllis holds Master and Bachelor Degrees in Music Performance from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan . A former member of the famous Mantovani Orchestra. she worked as a solo artist and accompanist for many artists such as Josh Groban, Natalie Cole, and Ray Charles. Her recordings have received airplay around the world. She currently plays with Orchestra Nashville and records with the Nashville String Machine. Ms. Sparks played with the Nashville Symphony on their East Coast Carnegie Hall Tour and the Amy Grant Christmas Tour. She has six CD's released on Voyager Records.