Where are you from originally?
I was born in Germany, but from age 6 grew up in Alaska. It was an amazing childhood, and I didn’t know how special it was until I was an adult. We had moose wandering through our yard a lot and did a lot of camping and hiking. I miss the mountains and believe or not, the snow – I was a cross country skier. But, I love living here in Alabama! I’ve been here almost 30 years!
Why am I a musician?
I am a musician because I cannot conceive of being anything else. Music comes from and speaks to the soul. A piece or song can take us back in time. Dvorak’s 9th symphony was the first symphony I remember listening to as a kid. Once I started playing the flute, all I wanted to do was play that piece in an orchestra. I’m so fortunate that I get to do that, with such amazing colleagues, and share it with our fantastic audiences.
Hobbies?
Everyone who knows me, knows that music and dogs are my heart. I have Labrador Retrievers and participate in dog sports with them. Obedience competitions, and lately, more often retriever field trials. All of my dogs’ names come from music. Leonore (Lea) is my older girl named after Beethoven’s opera “Fidelio”. The overture “Leonore #3” is from that opera and is a big flute excerpt. My younger lab is Fi, named directly for the opera. I love getting into the outdoors with them and training. It’s similar to music actually: we practice (train) and perform (trial). And both require team work!
Favorite spots around town?
I like the great parks in the area – Ruffner Moutain, Red Mountain, and of course, Railroad Park. We play concerts there every June, and it’s just magical to look out at the huge audiences and the cityscape.
And I have to admit….. Hero Doughnuts is a guilty pleasure.