Catrina Lotspeich - Viola

Not sure - 17-18 years?

The opportunity to perform with some amazing musicians. It allows me to feed my musician's soul.

I grew up in a musical family and was always surrounded by music. My first instrument was the piano, which I started at age 5. I added viola at 11.

My parents played with community groups, and I can remember attending their performances as a young child. My grandfather was an orchestra teacher and inspired me to become a music educator myself. I have multiple family members who are current or retired musicians and music educators. Because my family valued musical experiences, they made sure my siblings and I had as many opportunities as possible.

I am the Director of Fine Arts for Temple ISD. I spent 22 years as an orchestra teacher, and now 13 years as an administrator. I love working in a community like Temple that values and supports the arts! It is incredible to watch the next generation of musicians and artists grow and flourish.

I was on a live broadcast of the Miss Teen USA contest :) The show was being broadcast from El Paso (where I grew up), and the youth orchestra was asked to play for the evening gown competition. I still remember playing an arrangement of Uptown Girl for the live broadcast 🙂

Being involved is not just being a performer. Helping behind the scenes, supporting musicians and artists as an audience member, and supporting opportunities for students are all important. Anyone can be involved, and you can always find a way that fits your life.

I hope people walk away from a concert feeling transported out of the “real world” for a time. Whether it is fast-paced, slow and lyrical, something we recognize, or something we might think is just weird, music gives us the chance to let our imagination soar.

I try to keep myself in playing shape as much as possible. Since I’m not in the classroom and playing every day, I make sure I give myself some time each week to play for fun. I play for my church every week and the occasional wedding or other gigs.

Playing music is, in many ways, my way of having a conversation with God. It’s a time to quiet my brain and let my instrument speak for me. No words can describe what it is like to watch a young student experience the joy of creating music for the first time, or to see the look on their face when they conquer a piece they have been struggling with.

Meaningful, Grateful, Joyful