Suzanne was born and raised in Bozeman and began playing the bass at the age of 10, taught by her father, Jon Ford. She joined the Bozeman symphony at the age of 13 and was selected for All-State and All-Northwest orchestras in high school. She went on to study under Dr. Paul Erhard at University of Colorado at Boulder where she played in various classical, jazz, and world music ensembles and earned a Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance. After returning to Montana she decided to pursue a career in nursing and taught bass as an adjunct professor at Montana State University while getting her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She has spent her nursing career in oncology, working in Great Falls, Denver, and now at the Bozeman Cancer Center. She never lost her love of the bass and still plays occasionally with the Bozeman Symphony, Montana Ballet, Montana TheatreWorks, and Baroque Music Montana. She was a founding member of Jawbone Railroad Old-Time String Band and currently plays and sings in the bluegrass band, The Dirt Farmers. Most of her free time is spent in the mountains climbing peaks, mountain biking and backcountry skiing with her dog, Fergie.
