Ms. Munson, originally from Howard Lake, MN, started playing violin at the age of 4. She played in the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies for 10 years, studying with El Gervasio and Sally O’Reilly throughout highschool.
Ms. Munson holds a bachelors degree in violin performance from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX, where she studied with John Gilbert. During college, she played with the Lubbock Symphony, Amarillo Symphony, Big Spring Symphony and Abilene Philharmonic, as well as an early music group, Irish band and a Mariachi band.
In her summers, Ms. Munson attended Bravo Summer String Institute, Meadowmount and Roundtop. Since moving to Memphis, she has discovered bluegrass music and now plays in the band Sorghum Hill.
An interview with Jessie:
What's the most interesting place you've ever performed?
I once performed at a festival with my bluegrass band and we were set up in a barn between two hay bales, with two horses literally breathing on the backs of our necks. It was fun!
What are you reading right now? Clan of the Cave Bear
What would you do if you won the big Powerball jackpot?
Maybe start an animal shelter or run for U.S. Senate.
If you weren't a musician, what might you enjoy doing for a living?
I think I would enjoy being a park ranger.
What are your outside interests?
I love animals, so when I first moved to Memphis, i volunteered as a docent at the zoo. mow I am a volunteer dog-walker at the Memphis Humane Society and I volunteer at the Animal Protection Association. I also love birdwatching, gardening and playing Scrabble.
"I love the point in a performance when I forget about the specific notes, dynamics... technical stuff, and just feel the music."
