I’m from Charlotte, North Carolina where I grew up. I took piano lessons as a child and started playing clarinet at school. In high school, I played in band, orchestra, and various after school ensembles, including the Youth Symphony of the Carolinas. 

I attended college at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and played in the wind ensemble there as a non-music major. After graduation I left the clarinet behind, dabbled in the guitar in my spare time, and followed a career in school counseling, specifically a dropout prevention counselor in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system for 30 years. 

After retirement I moved to the mountains and heard that the community band here needed percussion players. Though I hadn’t played any ensemble music for 46 years, the band has allowed me to learn percussion and work on renewing old music skills. 

I’m thankful for the support and patience of Haywood Community Band’s percussion section and the guidance of music director Steve Razo and associate conductor Jenna Misch. I’m also grateful for Cary Kamperschroer, my private percussion teacher. It’s rewarding to be playing in a group again and feel part of a larger whole.