Years in DIVA: 15 / Hometown: Chevy Chase, MD / Favorite Food: PIZZA

Favorite Thing to Do When Not Playing Music: Read, admire my cats, make parts look pretty in Finale or Sibelius (seriously).

Favorite DIVA Memory: One night our founder Stanley, as he often did, very kindly and generously invited the whole band to dinner at the steakhouse in the hotel. After dinner, he proposed we play a dice game called “Pig.” He taught it to us, and we sat around the table playing, shouting, and laughing until the restaurant closed, at which point we moved out to the lobby and continued playing. (I’m pretty sure I remember the manager coming over to ask us to keep it down, but I’m not sure we paid him much mind!) We had so much fun, and to me, it highlights something I love about being in DIVA—that it’s about more than just playing the gig. It’s also about friendship and camaraderie and laughter and joy.

Tip for Young Musicians: Don’t back down from a challenge because you think you might not be up to it. Do your best, and if it doesn’t work out exactly as you want, then you know what to work on. But have faith in yourself and go for it. You’ll never know what you can do until you try.