The Benefits and Beauty Music Gives

Music gives. It has given to me all my life.

From the time I sang in the church choir when I was 4, I have been soaking in the beauty and benefits of music. When I heard my first orchestra in the Chillicothe High School gymnasium as a teenager—none other than the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra—I was completely inspired.

When I moved to Cincinnati in 1986, I joined the Cincinnati Symphony’s May Festival Chorus and sang for the next 17 years. I was in awe of our world-class symphony, Pops orchestra, conductors, our choral master, guest artists, boards and administration. By participating in the Cincinnati Symphony’s May Festival, I was able to give through music, but what I received was far more profound and life-changing.

Over the years, I have been privileged to serve on the boards of Cincinnati Symphony’s May Festival, Opera, Ballet and the Friends of Music Hall. Through this board work I have learned that artists need patrons, and patrons need artists. And sustained financial support is paramount. And the common music element in all these organizations is our beloved CSO and the Pops.

Because of the beauty and benefits of music, and how it can drive access, inclusion and transformation, I have included the CSO in my estate plan. I hope you will join me in making the CSO a part of your estate plan as well. Together, we can ensure that our community continues to receive all the beauty and benefits that music gives.