Where are you from originally?
Carnesville, GA (a very small town about 85 miles northeast of Atlanta)
How many years in the symphony?
I’ve been in the orchestra since it’s rebirth in 1997, so that would make it 24 years.
If you were not a professional musician, what would you be?
Throughout my childhood, I only thought of being a veterinarian! I raised many types of exotic birds, from peafowl to pheasants to waterfowl and even rheas! As I got older, my career goal was to be an avian vet, and I got very far in the process before the oboe and music finally won out in the end! I’m happy with the way things turned out…I could see myself being involved in aviculture, focused on raising birds for a zoo or something like that. But I’m not sure I’m tough enough to be a vet having to deal with sick animals all day!
I do have a pet toucan named Felix however! He’s quite a handful!
Hobbies?
I’m pretty passionate about growing orchids! I’ve had a greenhouse since my Dad built me one attached to the house I grew up in when I was around 12 years old. I started off by starting seeds in the winter that we could later plant in the spring in our yard. That led to growing many exotic houseplants, which quickly made its way to orchids! When I came to Birmingham for the ASO, I filled my apartments for a few years to maximum capacity… my main motivation for buying a house was so I could build a greenhouse! The greenhouse was being planned before I even moved in! Now I have hundreds of orchids! My favorite orchids to grow are phragmipediums, which are from the family often called lady slippers, which grow in the wild from Mexico through the central and northern parts of South America.
How has being a member of the ASO connected you to our community?
I have been interested in singing and choral directing since I was a teenager. I have always had kind of a dual career in music, but it wasn’t until 7 years ago that I was actually able to reconnect to my choir roots. I’m the choir director at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Birmingham and one of my favorite things about that church and choir is the deep connection it has with the ASO. Most of my choir members are ASO supporters, and it is so much fun for me to talk about the Saturday performance Sunday morning at church.
Another cherished tie to our community is the connection with the band directors in our area. There are some amazing band programs around here and it is such an honor for me to work with their oboe students as well as get to know the many talented directors so well over the years. Music education was in my blood from the beginning and was the primary focus of my Bachelor’s degree. It is a privilege to get to teach in addition to my performing life.