Welcome!

Hey everyone, thanks for checking out my website and my blog!  

I am a mother, a wife, an orchestral musician, and a teacher.   For the past 13 years I have been the Principal Clarinetist of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra in Birmingham, Alabama.   Recently I have been inspired to write about my experiences, and share what I have been learning through reading books and various other avenues of personal development.  Leading a life as a professional musician is a privilege and can be very fulfilling, but as in any career path we still hit roadblocks to growth along the way. I would love to use this blog as a partner in helping me explore topics like finding avenues of post-graduate learning, ways we become blocked in experiencing passion and joy in our work, and the complicated ways mothering and performing music at a high level interact on a daily basis.  

As with many professions, the orchestral field has been historically dominated by men.  Yes, auditions are conducted behind a screen now, and we have come a long way towards leveling the playing field for women.  But like many other women, I have had very few female instructors along the way. All of my private teachers have been men, and of the amazing women I have worked with many of them have sidestepped family life for a variety of reasons.  When I got pregnant, one of the strongest emotions I felt was a sense of isolation. I had support, but that didn’t seem to be what was missing for me. In hindsight, I think I was lacking role models -- other women who were doing what I was about to attempt, and who were willing to talk about it.  Society has conditioned us to feel comfortable sharing the funny things our kids do, or how exhausted and sleep deprived we are, but as any parent knows this barely scratches the surface of what the experience is really like.  

 Part of my goal with my own personal development is to consistently address my holistic health, and this includes making a commitment to cultivating vulnerability in my work and my interactions with those around me.  This will be a common thread on this blog, and I would love feedback on what things you may be doing as well. Most of all, I would love for this platform to serve as a safe and supportive space for women to share their struggles and triumphs free from judgement.  I know there are many of us out there facing similar feelings -- sometimes of joy and wonder, but also sometimes of self-doubt and loneliness. So please reach out, either with comments or ideas for future topics.  

Thanks again for reading, and please subscribe below to receive alerts by email.  You can also reach me through the contact page on my website, Instagram, or Facebook.

Cheering you on!

Kathleen