Throughout her career Maureen has looked for ways to combine her love of music and literature. When playing for others or when teaching music, she will often use a poem to illuminate the listening experience. Her formal education began at the University of Utah and concluded at UC Berkeley with an M.A. in Comparative Literature. She studied piano with many teachers, including Bernhard Abramowitsch, Hans Boepple, Gladys Gladstone, and Paul Hersh. She lives in the hills above Los Altos, California, with her husband, winemaker Paul Draper. Their daughter Caitlin is a cellist.

In 2001, Maureen introduced portable CD players and selected music for patients at Stanford Hospital. This aspect of palliative care has eased pain for hundreds of people and it continues.