Courtney Orlando

I have an older sister. When we were kids, I wanted to do everything she was doing, which I guess is pretty normal. So when SHE started playing the piano, _I_ had to play the piano. I loved it – LOVED it – and my parents decided to have me play the violin as well. It was not always smooth sailing; at different points, I wanted to be a veterinarian, an architect, a doctor, a vet (again), or a social worker. But music was the one thing I had a real passion for, and at the risk of sounding trite, I am incredibly grateful to my parents for dragging me to countless lessons, youth orchestra rehearsals, and auditions. After earning a Bachelor’s degree from Temple, I went to Eastman, where I earned an MA in Theory Pedagogy and a DMA in Performance. Most importantly, I met the people who were to eventually become Alarm Will Sound. One of my favorite AWS stories is about how I became a member. When I received my part for The Desert Music – AWS’s first big project – there were at LEAST two other violinists’ names that had been written on the part and had been erased or crossed out. Maybe I shouldn’t be telling that story, since it makes it seem I was junior JUNIOR varsity, but hey, I’m glad they couldn’t do the gig or I wouldn’t be doing all this fun stuff with some of my best friends. So once more running the risk of sounding trite, I am incredibly grateful to be a member of AWS.