If the violin part is fun, I can get over the fact that I don't
connect with the composer. I love opera and playing chamber music
and I love playing a new piece when the composer is in the audience.
do you have a pre-concert ritual?
When I’m playing Second Violin, I like to go through every
note of the concert (either mentally or actually playing) the day
of the program. There are parts that don’t seem difficult but
are awkward or exposed, so you have to be “on your toes”
all the time. When I’m playing First Violin, I can just focus
on the sixteenth notes and pretty melodies. For solo recitals I
need a nap. In fact, I like to get a nap for our Tuesday concerts,
too!
Whom do you admire (composers, players, non-musicians)?
I admire self-made musicians the most, the ones whose parents aren’t
musicians but who were driven to pursue music anyway. I admire tall,
thin people.
if you weren't a musician, what would you be?
A school teacher--any grade--maybe seventh grade English
or kindergarten.
What made you decide on the instrument you play in the wso?
I’m a musician first and a violinist second. I knew I would
be a musician when I was three or four and would sit under the piano
while my mom played and sang “Red River Valley.” It gave
me a lump in my throat and I was embarrassed by that. Later, a dynamic
public school teacher came in and gave us the recruiting spiel.
I was planning to take viola but then noticed the girl next to me
was putting “violin” on her form and something made me
copy her. She wasn’t even a close friend! Maybe that’s
why many of my friends over the years have been violists.
What is the nicest thing an orchestra has ever done for you?
When I left my teaching job in Iowa to pursue my DMA, the Des Moines
Symphony concertmaster organized all the players to chip in and
get me a subscription to the Minnesota Orchestra. He presented it
at break at my last rehearsal and we were playing Dvorak’s New World slow movement after
the break, and I couldn’t stop crying!
how do you like to communicate with audiences?
By playing with integrity, intensity, and honesty.
interesting hobbies or pets you'd like us to know about? favorite desserts or drinks?
I do like baking and remembering the hobbies I used to have before
I taught at liberal arts colleges and had children. There will be
no pets in our house until we can take care of the people who live
here now. I like brownies and cookies, especially making them.
