One cooling fall day in 1959, Mrs. Reeves sent me home with a violin. It was the beginning of the Alachua County string program in Gainesville, Florida. I can't say I fell in love on that day, but my father, bless him, took the ball and ran with it. Private lessons came shortly after, as well as piano lessons, and by 7th grade, the alarm clock was set for 5AM so that practice could be completed before school.

I transitioned to viola in college, and there the love began. I had found an instrument that was in my vocal range! Though my dad wanted me to take the sensible route (" Get a degree in education!"), I wanted only to play, so my first degree in Music Performance at University of Miami led me to a graduate assistantship at Memphis State, where I majored in perfomance, and minored in Suzuki Pedagogy (MAYBE Dad might be right!). After being in Memphis a couple years, I was invited to audition for the MSO. Auditions were not nearly the rigorous affair they are today! I just stood on the stage in Harris Auditorium, behind a jerry-rigged screen, and played the requested exerpts, then waited a few minutes for the committee to confer. In a minute or two, Maestro DeFrank said, "welcome to the orchestra".

I am not exaggerating when I say every subsequent decision I have made has been affected by my membership in this orchestra. To play is to live, and "making a living" must be worked around that core belief.

So I end again with my favorite viola joke - "What do you do with a dead viola player?

Move her to the back of the section!". Thanks, Dad.

Karen Casey, Viola

First Season with the MSO: 1976-1977

Some Facts About Karen

Hobbies: Name something that's NOT interesting!  (well, sports)  Primarily, activities that keep my body moving -  yoga, swimming.  NYTimes crosswords, as much recreational reading as I can cram in.

If you hadn't become a musician, what else might you have enjoyed?  Clueless. I became an RN of necessity, and that has proved interesting.

What are you reading now?  Jack London, "Sea Wolf", Dan Millman, "Sacred Journey of the Peaceful Warrior", Elizabeth Janet Gray, "Adam of the Road"

Favorite Memphis restaurant:  I'm in a Subway-and Pei Wei rut! Need to get out more!

Favorite vacation (real or fantasy):  Real? The beach south of St. Augustine and north of Daytona. Fantasy? Still need to get to Hawaii

Most influential teacher:  Jack Abell

Earliest musical memory:  My dad signed me up for a "record of the month" club when I was a kid. I got a classical LP in the mail periodically. Completey mind-bending!

Favorite composer:  I keep being grabbed by the 20th cent Russions, Stavinsky, Prokofiev, but that slides to Bartok...

What do you listen to in the car?  Usually WKNO, or a CD of what we're working on this week

What do you enjoy most about performing?  Being right in the middle of that sound!! Hearing it all come together, in real time, celebrating the connectedness...

Besides creating great music, what is the symphony's most important role?  Sharing great music and the joy of playing ANY kind of music with our youth

Is there anything we forgot to ask about that you'd like to share?  My kids are all grown and gone now, Torie in Austin, TX  (with my first grandchild!), Daniel in Athens, GA, and Andrew in Asheville, NC. All are very well, thank you, and understand I ain't leavin' till my hands are too gnarled... you get the idea.