Seven Years with the East Texas Youth Orchestra

7 years. 2,555 days. 55,000+ miles driven. 850+ hours driving. 200+ rehearsals. 25+ performances given. 70+ works performed. 120+ seniors graduated. Hundreds of musicians impacted. 2 children born. 1 pandemic. 1 transmission and 1 engine (🙃). Countless memories made.

Last night was my final concert with the East Texas Youth Orchestra – an organization that has been part of my story for the better part of a decade. In many ways, ETYO has impacted me more than I have impacted it.

Staying with an organization for this length of time has allowed me to see it change and grow, and to also see the fruits of our labor. I’ve seen some of my first musicians get married, receive graduate degrees, perform all over the world, return and become board members, and more.

And I’ve seen the beginning sparks of dreams that Phil Ketcham and I used to dream coming to fruition through the ETYO After School Strings Clubs - nurturing the next generation of orchestral musicians in East Texas.

Of course the work is never done, but it became clearer to me after our second child was born that there are only so many hours in a day and I wanted to soak in as many of these early days (even the hard ones) as possible.

I can’t possibly thank everyone but I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank a few:

Phil, thank you for dreaming big with me from my first year all the way through yesterday. It’s clear there’s no better person to shepherd ETYO towards those dreams.

Ryan, thank you for being my right-hand for six of those years. Having someone with whom to work so closely who can translate my Felix-speak into action allowed me to do the work I enjoy most.

And Holly. You’ve been with me since the very beginning. Steadfast and patient. I will always cherish our friendship and your enduring commitment to ETYO.

And to all of our current staff and board members, our past staff and board, our families, supporters, and past, present, and future musicians: thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. It has truly been my pleasure to serve.

Spending every Sunday making music wouldn’t have been possible without an incredibly supportive partner. She held down the fort first with three dogs, then one child, then two! Being the spouse of a musician isn’t for the faint of heart and I’m able to chase my dreams because of her. Thank you. ♥️

ETYO is in great hands and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for this wonderful organization.

Until we meet again! ❤️ 🎶