She moved to Chicago to attend Northwestern University, where she received a master's degree in cello performance in 1994, studying with Hans Jorgen Jensen.
[1][2] Opening for such bands as Frank Black, Bob Mould, Counting Crows, Live, Morrissey, Liz Phair and Brad with Stone Gossard, Verbow toured nationally for seven years.
Meeting and working with Bob Mould was a big influence on Chesley forming the Helen Money project for aggressive, amplified cello.
She worked with artists including Mono, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, Russian Circles, Chris Connelly, Poi Dog Pondering and Disturbed.
Since then, she has toured widely across the U.S. and Europe, opening for acts such as Shellac, Earth, Nina Nastasia, Joe Lally, Mono, Sleep, Magma, Jarboe, Neurosis and Agalloch.