Departments
Professional Development
Courses Taught
Professional Fundamentals
Education
BM, Texas Christian University
MM, Manhattan School of Music
MBA, University of North Texas
Q&A
What is your hometown?
Azle, Texas
What is your favorite recording?
Too hard, can't answer that question. Possibly the most influential recording of my life is Moving Pictures by Rush. I grew up listening to this album constantly and will usually gravitate toward when I'm feeling homesick.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Traveling and exploring new places. My weekends are filled with piling into the car with my husband and dog to go check out towns we've never visited. If I could, I'd travel the world, wondering around cities and soaking up different cultures.
Who were your major mentors?
Brenda Tullos (Director of Orchestra Personnel, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)
Dennis Houghton (Owner, Houghton Horns)
Heather Test (Horn Professor, TCU)
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
Change requires challenge. If you want a different life, do different things.
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
What skills besides playing my instrument do I need to cultivate for a successful career?
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
I chose to pursue Arts Administration after taking a required course at MSM: Orchestra Entrepreneurship with Angela Beeching. This was my first major introduction to the complexity of the business that exists behind performing.
What was a turning point in your career?
My time at the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra taught me that my skills are best utilized in artistic operations - the puzzle of producing a performance. I found that I love the challenge of putting together a successful concert.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
I would likely be in the For-Profit business world.
What is your daily practice routine?
My daily routine consists of waking up early enough to enjoy a cup of coffee while reading whatever book I have at the moment. I try to leave work at work and not read any emails while I'm off the clock. Beyond that, I try to catch a kickboxing class 3 or so times a week!
If you could play only three composers for the rest of your life, who would they be?
Mahler, Brahms, Strauss (former horn player here)
From a music history perspective, what year and city are most important to you?
NYC, Leonard Bernstein era. His influence is still ongoing, but I would say this period was crucial to the relevance and resurgence of classical music in the US with his work on West Side Story, the Young People's Concerts, and more.