I have a great life! I had a wonderful time growing up! My parents and brothers were great, but I could have appreciated them much, much more! I have fabulous nieces, nephews, great nephews and a great niece who I love, but don’t get to see as often as I would like. I started in music because of my family--everyone played an instrument--and started singing publicly at the age of 4. I would sing to the neighbors and in church and school concerts. I started playing trumpet in 5th grade and quickly switched to the bassoon because I knew what it was; my brother Edward--a great pianist and musician--played clarinet and bassoon. I also began playing drum set because my dad was a drummer on the weekends. (What I wish I could learn from him now!) Feb. 9th, 1964 destined me to be a lover of rock music, while continuing to study bassoon and set. BEATLES FOREVER--oh, they already are!!!

My first music teachers could not have been better, as I look back at it. Milo Phelps was my band teacher in 5-7 grade and Frank Dominguez was my elementary music/choral teacher from 2nd - 7th grade. In junior and senior high schools, my band/orchestra directors were Richard Meinecke, Robert Monsen, and George Cerwin. I played bass and tenor drums in marching band and was drum major my senior year. I owe a lot to these people. They kept me interested in music and did a great job, in varying degrees, in my training. The Milwaukee Public School system deserves a big thank you for their incredible Saturday morning lessons and summer band programs. For $3.50, I was able to receive a group or private lesson every Saturday. In the summers, Mr. Meinecke and Roland Kohl kept us playing in Summer Recreation Orchestra. (Many teachers were in the Milwaukee Symphony, but not the bassoon instructor, Dorothy Thomas.)

In college, I studied bassoon and band with the greatest mentor I’ve ever know, ‘Prof.’ Fred Schroeder. He was a clarinetist who played the flute in every bassoon lesson with him! He taught me much more than music. Thanks, Prof. I studied music theory with Marjorie Irvin and James Ming, both students of Boulanger and Dr. Ming studied compostion with Darius Milhaud. Miss Irvin’s unique approach in theory instruction is beyond anything published today that I have experienced or heard about! So many others. I started taking lessons with one of the best orchestra bassoonists and teachers between colleges. Stephen Basson, Former Principal in the MSO, is such an incredible teacher and so humble, as was Prof. Schroeder. I was honored to work with Stephen, the bassoonist with the perfect name!!!!

In Denver, I was a Graduate Teaching Assistant in two freshman sections working with James Bratton, organ professor at DU, and Marty Stonequist. The second year, I assisted sophomore theory with Robert Davine (world famous concert accordion virtuoso!) and taught my own freshman theory class! What a blast I had. I will never forget this experience and some of the best, if not THE best, students I ever taught. They taught me and were very patient. Of course, I was only 3-4 years older than most of them!

A year teaching in Louisiana at Northwesten State in Natchitoches was a challenge; I didn’t get the oboe/bassoon position, but they invited me to teach percussion. I also taught ear-training/sightsinging, bassoon, and was Assistant Director of the band (thanks Wayne Blackwell and J. Robert Smith). The best part was that my brother was on the piano faculty (even that didn’t help me get the job, originally!) My niece and nephew were 6 and 3, respectively, and I got to be with them for the year. Talk about a lucky deal.

These teaching experiences allowed me to replace Prof. as the bassoon instructor at Lawrence when he retired. I also had the honor to teach Miss Irvin’s theory and met with her in weekly meetings to learn how to teach theory; she made me re-do all the assignments I had done as a student. Thanks...it was great!. The three years I taught at Lawrence were very special and I met some great people and I am proud of those who have made such successful careers. Just think, I sat and played poker with Steven Stucky and Fred Sturm, who have both achieved international acclaim over the years. The last year teaching at Lawrence, I was also the band director at Ripon College.

I am honored to be a member of the faculty at the University of Oklahoma for 26 years now and plan to be here for another 15 or so! The 80s oil bust was a challenge, but in the 90s, former U.S. Senator David Boren became our President and has changed OU like no other President before him. I thank all my colleagues, past and present, for their patience and support and especially thank the students I have known through teaching and advising.

Before finishing, I must mention and thank Bob Levy and Dr. Don V Moses (and my brother, Ed) for giving me the most important professional experiences in my career. For 17 years, I went to Eisenstadt, Austria to perform with the Classical Music Seminar (later Festival) each August for 2-3 weeks. This was not a paying gig; I paid to go and I have never regretted the financial sacrifice (investment!). Playing on the same stage in Eisenstadt and in Austrian churches where Haydn conducted and had his music performed is an experience that cannot come from a lecture or read out of a book. Thanks Ed and Don for the opportunity to make friends from all over the world, play in the orchestra, and to solo on three occasions. Bob was responsible for me playing and teaching at the Red Lodge (MT) Music Festival since 1980!

In Spring 2007, I re-connected with my graduate school roommate, Stephen Weiner, after 31 years! It’s been wonderful getting to know about each other again and about our respective families. Steve is an incredibly gifted musician and composer--husband and father (3)--who has composed many successful musicals that are having more and more acclaim internationally and will soon hit Broadway!

My family, friends, colleagues, and students are all so very special to me. I am living a great life!

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