By Allison Lund-Zalewski

For Steven and Jillian Anderson, music not only brings the couple together, but also brings the community together. The couple has lived in the Meyer’s Pine Ridge neighborhood since November 2023. They wanted to find something quiet and private, but nothing too remote.

“We have the best of both worlds here with woods and privacy. We have loved getting to know our neighbors! We moved in just as the weather was turning colder, so we didn’t really get to meet people until spring. By the time this summer ended, three more families had moved in, one of which we still need to meet! It’s been great getting to visit with neighbors new and old when out for walks. We’ve also enjoyed getting to know the downtown Lake Elmo shops, restaurants, and their proprietors. We hope to learn more about and do more within our community as we continue to get settled,” Steven commented.

Steven and Jillian met at a recording session in 2002. Jillian was finishing her undergraduate music program at the University of St. Thomas (UST) and Steven was producing music out of his home studio in St. Paul. Steven put out a call for a third singer to be part of a vocal trio on what was then a hot item—the 3-CD box set.

“My jazz professor at UST told me about the gig, which 1 ended up taking, and that was the beginning of a musical friendship. Over the years, I’d sing on studio projects for him, and he became my first call anytime I needed a pianist. I come from a large Lebanese family, so there were always weddings, anniversary parties, and special events to play;” Jillian said.

After a few years of playing for several of the cousins’ weddings, Steven eventually added “honorary Lebanese” to his Scandinavian heritage. Twenty years after he and Jillian first met, the couple started dating.

When our marriage banns were announced in church, one of the older ladies chided Steven by saying, “You’re a slow learner!” Jillian humorously said.

The couple was married in 2023 and moved to Lake Elmo, where they just celebrated their first anniversary.

“Some of our favorite memories come from the time we spend programming music and producing live shows. Whether it’s his annual Steven C Christmas Together concerts at the Cathedral of St. Paul for thousands of people or an intimate show for 150 from his ‘On the Hill’ concert series at the Commodore, the same amount of thought, creativity, dedication, and coffee goes into each one. We have had such a blast with the team of musicians from the Commodore and Cathedral shows that we’ve started taking the shows to other venues. This last December, we were honored to be hosted by the Church of St. Michael in Stillwater for our first ever show in the St. Croix Valley,” Steven stated.

Listeners can stream Steven C on all music platforms, learn more about his recordings and upcoming performances at stevencmusic.com, and follow Steven C Music on Facebook and Instagram.

Jillian attended the University of St. Thomas and earned her undergraduate degrees in vocal music education and philosophy. After graduating, she moved to Rome, Italy for a year to further study in philosophy and theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. Upon her return, she built her career in the non-profit sector, working in marketing and communications in K-12 and higher education. She now works for 3M in digital marketing and still freelances in music.

Steven graduated from Hamline University where he pursued piano performance and pipe organ. While at Hamline, he studied under jazz legend Manfredo Fest. He counts his blessings to be able to compose, record, and perform for a living. He is an established independent recording artist who streams worldwide to millions, but he can also be heard playing in local churches, schools, and throughout his community. He has a broad range of musical styles, covering everything from timeless melodies to classic rock hooks, or folksong and traditional hymns. And while he loves producing a stripped-down version of “Whiter Shade of Pale” or “Smoke on the Water”, his true passion is for his original compositions, many of which have been re-imagined and refined since
making the move to Lake Elmo last year.

Outside of music, Steve is an avid tennis player while Jillian enjoys golf. Pebble Park is the couples favorite spot for tennis, and they always enjoy chatting with the pickleballers they meet on the new courts. The couple also enjoys walking the Gateway and Brown’s Creek Trails and hiking Sunfish Lake Park and Lake Elmo Park Reserve. Their absolute favorite thing to do outdoors
is boating on the St Croix River. They especially love going out in the evening hours during the week when the water is quiet. There’s just enough time to get down to Afton for an affogato at Selma’s and catch the sunset on the ride back to Bayport!

For the Andersons, their weekends start when everyone else’s are ending—late in the afternoon or evening on Sunday, whenever they finish playing their last church service. Steven plays for seven churches and Jill sings for five. The couple is also passionate about Nespresso, freshly ground dark roast coffee and the occasional seasonal drink from Sunshine Coffee.

Up until recently, Steven and Jillian had two grand pianos. While they had fun with dueling pianos in the living room, they were running out of space, so Jillian found a temporary home for her piano.

“Steve’s beloved nine-foot Bösendorfer piano has been with him for 27 years and it’s all the piano we need. ‘Bosy’ is a touring instrument, so we do move it regularly to some of our venues for live performances. In just one year of living in Lake Elmo, we’ve moved pianos in and out of this house seven times already!” Jillian exclaimed.

Between Jillian’s full-time work and their weekend music, the couple doesn’t get much time away, but when they do, they like to make the most of it by planning vacations where they can visit friends, hear music, and get to the water. The couple has made trips to the Gulf Coast of Florida, Southern California, and Nashville. Up next on their list of places to go is Italy.

“Steve hasn’t crossed the pond since 2001 when he recorded at Abbey Road and I’ve been Rome-sick since I last lived there in 2005,” Jill acknowledged.

The Andersons have one message for their community, “We loved having so many of you as guests in our home and at our concerts in this first year of living in Lake Elmo. It has been really fun bumping into people we know from St. Paul and finding out they have since relocated to Lake Elmo. As it turns out, there are friends of Steve’s who live a few streets away from us, and we’ve already met up with them at the Lake Elmo Inn Bar. We look forward to meeting more of you when it warms up—maybe with a little music on the deck or in the driveway!

If you happen to see the Andersons out in the community, be sure to stop by and introduce yourself!