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Member since? 

February 27, 2017

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How did you hear about/find us? 

Stacey posted a notice on the Nextdoor app looking for members.  I hadn’t played in years, but had recently gotten my flute out and tried to play a little bit.  When I heard about the band, I was excited for an excuse to play again!

 

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What is your musical background/history? 

I’ve always loved listening to music of course.  Starting with my Mickey Mouse am radio when I was kid, to my boombox when I was a teenager, I’ve always had music around.  As for playing, I don’t remember a time I didn’t want to play the flute. I don’t know why, that’s just what I wanted to do.  In my school, we started band instruments the summer before 6th grade, so that’s when I finally started playing.  I was always a pretty average player. During tryouts for high school band (sophomore year), the band director asked if I’d ever had, or considered, private lessons, and encouraged me to take them.  My skills increased exponentially, and my junior year at tryouts, I zoomed up from second chair in the concert band to third chair in the symphonic band, behind two seniors. My senior year, I was second chair, only because my confidence was incredibly low, and the band director was unsure I could handle any solos.  Rightfully so, but I still ended up playing one solo (a duet with a clarinet) in the Barber of Seville because the first chair could never get it right. My skills paid off in the end.

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What is your favorite “Band Song” to play? 

I love the Prince medley, especially the “big finish” with the drums at the end.

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What do you do when you are not playing music? (work/hobbies/for fun???)

I recently lost my job of 14 years, so I spend a lot of time looking for a new job.  I’m a legal secretary by trade, so if you know of anything, send it my way. Also, my animals are very important to me.  I have way too many of them—2 dogs and 2 cats—but I love each of them, and they are each so special. Along those lines, I volunteer with Hand In Paw.  If you’re not familiar with the organization, they do animal-assisted therapy. I used to volunteer with my cat, Bubba, until he retired, and none of my other animals are suitable for visiting, so I currently visit as an assistant and help out the volunteers who do have animals.  

 

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What type of animal/breed of dog/cat/bird/fish/other etc…. best reflects your personality and why? 

Cat.  Cats are independent, but they do like to be around people.  Cats are happy with a nice snack and a warm spot to sleep. Occasionally, they’ll go a little crazy.  I feel like cats are often misunderstood.

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What is your superpower? 

Formatting Word documents!

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Tell us something fun!  You know, like “That one time at band camp…” Or elsewhere.  (funny anecdote/story/amazing coincidence/hidden talent/celebrity encounter, etc…) 

I wish I had a band story to tell, but I don’t.  So I’ll have to share my celebrity encounter. Years ago (college days), I was a huge David Letterman fan.  Back when he was still at NBC, he did the show for a week from the Chicago Theater. (I’m from Milwaukee. This was a short drive for me.)  My sister and I wrote in, and my sister managed to get tickets. They were general admission, so we got to the theater at 7:00 in the morning, for a 5:30 p.m. taping.  We were almost at the front of the line. We stood out on a cold, rainy Chicago sidewalk all day, and finally got in the theater about an hour before the show. We somehow managed to get front row seats, right in front of Dave’s desk.  The show started, and shortly in, Dave did the Top Ten list. After reading the list, he stood up, tore up the card the list was on as he headed toward the edge of the stage. I was standing there clapping, thinking he was going to give the list to someone, and was very jealous of whoever was going to get it.  Finally, I realized he was looking directly at me, as he said, “Well, do you want it?” I rushed toward a railing a few feet from the stage, and tried to reach up to him to get the pieces of the card. He tried to reach down to hand it to me. There was a small gap between us. I leaned on the railing, as he tossed the pieces of card to me.  What I didn’t know was that the section railing I was leaning on was removable. It collapsed under me, and I hit the floor as the pieces of Top Ten list soared over my head. I lay face down on the floor, never feeling so humiliated in my life, and not wanting to get up. But I did. Others had scrambled for the pieces of Top Ten list, so I didn’t get them, but some kind soul gave me the pieces he managed to pick up, so all was not lost.  

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