Biya first joined the SCA in AS 25 (1990) as a bard in the SCA studying what her local Mag Mor music group studied: European medieval vocal and instrumental music. Her passion for aviculture remained a separate hobby, though it quickly became integrated into her psychology studies at the University of Nebraska.
European music would not long stay "Anne's" passion (as she was known at the time. A local royal university session (RUSH for Calontir) held on the University of Nebraska in 1993 would expose her to more of the breadth the SCA has to offer. The future Biya was about to become more than just a musician! in the RUSH session, the future Biya learned beading and took a history class or two. In 1995, Laurel Rockefeller graduated the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with her bachelors in film writing, psychology and history (now specialized from European Medieval to Asian history) and moved to Iowa City, IA to the Shire of Shadowdale. No longer connected to European history and culture, she browsed the music library and discovered the music book that would change her SCA career: "Music of the Korean Renaissance: Songs and Dances of the 15th Century" by Jonathan Condit (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984). In this book, which in the past three or four years finally went back into print as a paperback edition, is sheet music from medieval China and even Jin dynasty sources--all the sources for Korean Renaissance music--and dances! Making photocopies, Biya (now called Feng Yin-yue), gathered about a dozen songs from the book and started her journey to Asian music that persists to this day.
After moving to the East in 2000, Feng YIn-yue received a copy of a Manchu-English dictionary and decided on the name "Biya" which she has been ever since. As Biya, she has been able to pursue in earnest a second A&S: ASIAN HISTORY which she started teaching through the local baronial newsletter, The Mudpuppy.
On August 14, 2006, after her move to the Crown Province of Ostgardr, Biya founded the Known World Aviculturists Guild and formally introduced AVICULTURE into the SCA as a new science.
On October 20th, 2007, Biya became the first in the SCA to receive ARMS for the science of AVICULTURE when they were awarded by Andreas and Gabriella at Warriors Naadam I, appropriately a Mongol-themed event sponsered by Silver Horde.
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Performing at East Kingdom Bardic Championships February 20, 2010. Song: "Arong Darong" in the Manchu language. Translation by Lady Biya (mka Laurel A Rockefeller). Unfortunately for this performance, the starting note is a high F, performers were chosen randomly--which meant going 18--after 17 other performances in English, Latin, German, and Spanish to confuse my memorization of these very difficult words in one of the most difficult of all Asina languages. And naturally, more points were awarded for not having thelyrics in hand. To make it worse, just minutes before leaving for the event, I broke my nose by walking into a wall in the dark (this is one reason I use a white cane now!). All things combined, I completely lost my starting note and starting first line by the time it was time to perform! If I'd gone on within the first five, all these lines would have been remembered!
In November, 2010, Lady Biya flew from New York City to Chicago to teach at the Barony of Ayreton's Royal University Midrealms events. Biya's two classes, "Survey to Medieval Aviculture" and "Talons and White Crests: How Falconry and Aviculture shaped Asian History" were both very well attended at the event with Biya's largest class attendance in 4 years of practicing and teaching medieval aviculture in Society. The extensive handouts for both classes appear on this website.
Biya's return to the East proved to be far less fruitful. In February, 2011 Biya competed in the East Kingdom Arts and Sciences competition in Meridan, Connecticut. Entering several aviculture exhibits and research papers, all of Biya's aviculture research was poorly received by the judges. Meanwhile, she received high marks for her Asian music performances.
In March, 2011, Biya travelled to Springfeld, Massachusetts to teach at Bergental Novice Schola. She spent only four hours at the event...and travelled a total of 14 hours roundtrip on amtrak and MTA to reach the event. Not one gentle attended her Talons and White Crests class. Only 2 gentles attended her Survey class.
Later that month, at the Barony of Settmour Swamp's annual Mudthaw event, Biya entered her aviculture work to scores equally low as her EKAS results, despite her extensive bibliographies.
Biya's final event in the East was the Canton of Brokebridge, Ostgardr's "Fiber Frolic." The event chose the provincial A&S champion. Despite Biya's strong results at the event, Lady Lile dub inghean ui Morda was named provincial A&S champion at the event.
In the summer of 2011, Lady Biya moved from the East to the Barony of St. Swithin's Bog, Aethelmearc to be with her new lord, Mark A. Yahner.
