Michelle has been a member of the Nashville Symphony since 1994. She attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and has served on the faculties of the Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt, Trevecca Nazarene University, and is currently teaching at Western Kentucky University at Bowling Green. In her interview, we talk about her musical upbringing, how her family has been coping with quarantine, and her volunteer work with the Red Cross!
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ค๐ก๐, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐ฉ?
Coming from a musical family, playing music was something I always knew I wanted to do. My mom played the French horn, my dad played the tuba, and my older sister played the cello. I didn't like the squeaky E string on the violin, and my parents said no way to the flute (my dad was a band director, so he knew how many of those there were!), but they did said, "If you play the viola, you will get a job." True story! Plus, I just enjoy being the middle voice of the orchestra. The harmony is always much more interesting than the melody!
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ค๐ข๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐ข๐๐ข๐ค๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ค๐ง๐๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐?
When my then 8 year old got to conduct the symphony at a children's concert. That's a memory she will never forget either. With Halloween coming up, I also think back on how much fun the orchestra would have dressing up for our children's Halloween concerts. Looking out at the audience and seeing all the kids dressed up was always a treat too.
๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐ฅ๐ค๐จ๐๐ง ๐ค๐ง ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐ค๐ก๐?
Brahms, Brahms, and more Brahms! But, one of the best pieces for the violas is Faure's Requiem. It prominently features the violas, as there are no violins except for one pesky soloist.
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ก๐?
I moved here 26 years ago from South Bend, IN. I have always enjoyed how friendly most people are despite us northerners moving down here (as my southern raised husband likes to point out.) Most of my family live in this area, so this is definitely home.
๐พ๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐ก๐ก ๐ช๐จ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ซ๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ค๐ง๐ ?
I have volunteered with the Humane Society and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, but my volunteer work with the Red Cross in Nashville was life changing. I started volunteering there one month before 9/11 and watched the need for the Red Cross grow quickly. Whether it was supporting families at a house fire at 3:00 in the morning, helping with blood drives, or natural disasters like Katrina, I felt like I was making a real contribution to our city and beyond.
๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐?
We have formed a schooling "pod" at my house with 4 kids. Most of my time is spent helping them succeed in their virtual learning environment. It makes me think even more highly of our teachers! I sometimes try to sneak in some viola practicing as well, while they are in class. My family has spent more time on the greenways since March. We have enjoyed extra family time together that we normally would not have had, and are trying to find the silver lining in all this.
๐ฟ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฉ๐ ๐๐ค๐ค๐ ?
Scream Free Parenting (seriously!)
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ข๐๐จ๐จ ๐ข๐ค๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฎ?
I mostly miss my friends, and playing those pieces that bring me to tears.
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