Megan Gangl knows a good opportunity when she sees one. When the option to join the 3M Symphony Orchestra was presented to her in 2006, she jumped at the chance. “I had been involved with many musical groups including community band, wind ensemble, and 25 years with a woodwind quintet, but I had never had the opportunity to be in an orchestra. Those positions do not become available often for woodwind players.” Megan has been playing music since the third grade when she started playing piano, added the trombone in middle school, and then switched to flute her sophomore year of high school. She plays a Haynes flute, newly purchased in 2016. “It makes such a difference to have a beautiful instrument.”
A retired occupational therapist and enthusiastic grandmother, Megan says the highlight of her EMSO experience has been opportunities to perform solos with he orchestra. “Whether a solo is long or short, it heightens the experience of playing music with others and I feel that I listen more closely to the music.” Her favorite concerts are the cross-cultural performances, when EMSO gets to perform music from other countries and collaborate with folk music groups. “We learn about the culture and people of that country, and it helps us as an orchestra play the music differently. It is more than notes; it connects us to history and other traditions.”
After years of donating both her time and talent to EMSO, Megan says she hopes to see the orchestra continue to grow in number of musicians and in musical opportunities. “I feel it is important to contribute my time and energy to any group that I am in and this group is no different. We have become more efficient in our management of the orchestra and are clearer about our mission and involvement with the community. It has gone beyond playing music for fun, and turned into playing music to reach out to the community. “Music is a wonderful creative outlet, and it is amazing to be surrounded by other musicians who care as much about making great music as I do.”