born anita andrés december 12, 1930 in san jose, california to alejandro andrés from salamanca, spain and anita dolgoff from stavropol, russia. sleeman began taking piano lessons at age three and took up trumpet and french horn at school in san francisco. while there, her music teachers noted her exceptional abilities at an early age (she began to show a talent for composition at age eight). sleeman attended placer junior college as a music student. she met her future husband, evan sleeman, in placer county and they married in 1951. they purchased a ranch in elko county, nevada and along with their six children immigrated to canada in 1963. they lived on a ranch in the remote anahim lake area near bella coola. in 1967, the couple relocated to tsawwassen, metropolitan vancouver. throughout her life she played the french horn in a variety of stage and concert bands and performed as a keyboardist in jazz ensembles.