Originally from Southwest Baltimore County, I have lived in Washington, DC since 2008, when I moved here fresh out of graduate school. I came to work as a laboratory technician for the herbarium at the National Museum of Natural History. Soon upon my arrival, I discovered that my hobby of recorder playing as an adolescent became a vital tool for coping with the trials and tribulations of adult life. Since then, making music with friends and family members has become a cherished pastime. Realizing the vital importance of making music for personal and community wellbeing, I have volunteered at after-school music programs at the Sitar Arts Center and St. Augustine Catholic School. The WRS has been such a tremendous resource and priceless community of recorder players for me. I have learned so much about the depth and breadth of the recorder’s storied repertoire, as well as essential techniques and interpretations that I could never have learned on my own. Besides, there is little fun in being an ensemble of one. Since 2021, I have served on the WRS Board as the recording secretary. This experience has reinforced my sense of how important it is to maintain our interconnections within the greater recorder-playing world.