Happy Halloween!

Tuesday is typically the day I teach violin lessons. Today was a little less than typical...


Nicole, one of my 4th-grade beginners, dressed up as Miss America! My costume was a little less imaginative... but I haven't technically played the role of a college student in almost 18 months, so it was still stepping out of character a little :)

Austin (but not the Texan variety)

I spent a busy day in Austin! The Austin Symphony performed children's concerts this morning, and I was the narrator (for excerpts from Bizet's Carmen) and featured speaker/performer. Over the lunch hour, I spoke at the Austin Rotary Club and shared my Music is Instrumental message. I met the grandfather of Karyn Stordahl (Miss MN '05), who is a member of the Rotary! I was then whisked away to speak with the Middle School and High School music students. We discussed practicing, goal-setting, and stretching (instrumentalists need to treat their bodies with the same care as athletes do in order to prevent injuries).

with Terry Leas (Rotary President) and my special-edition SPAM
(Hormel Foods was founded and is based in Austin)

at Austin Middle School with the 9th-grade orchestra

Thanks to Steve Ramsey (conductor of the Austin Symphony), Marge Dunlap (Orchestra Manager), the music teachers at Austin High School and Middle School, and my hosts Jeff and Sonia Larson.

Winona - a preview

Winona High School just finished extensive remodeling and renovations, and they celebrated this afternoon with an open house! I signed autographs for attendees and chatted with Winona radio personality Greg Taylor. I'll be back in Winona next week for a 4-day residency, working with all the music programs at all Winona public schools.

Thanks to Leanne Becker and Gay Mortenson for arranging this celebration, and to Winona's Superintendent Paul Durand!

And the winner is...

A&W Furniture in Redwood Ralls celebrated a grand remodel with a grand giveaway - $15,000 in home furnishings! I signed autographs and drew the lucky winner's name from over 2,000 entrants.

with Bernice Zamzow (the winner!) and husband/wife owners Bob Wetmore & Mary Ahrens

an interview with Redwood Falls Radio

with the Warehouse Crew

Congratulations to Bernice, and many thanks to Bob & Mary and their hospitable staff!

Breakfast of Champions

Hooray for visitors! The lovely Christie Hageman, Miss Montana 2006, is in town with Avice Hoff (Co-Executive Director of the Miss MT program) Cami Hoff (Miss MT board member). They're taking advantage of the fabulous shopping available in the Twin Cities (Mall of America, anyone?) and agreed to fuel their day with a delicious breakfast at The Good Earth. David Shepardson (Co-Executive Director of the Miss MN program), Rod Simonson (MIss MN committee member), and I enjoyed the varied conversation - it's always interesting to see how things are done in other states!

Avice Hoff, me, Christie, Cami Hoff

Christie, I hope you found everything you wanted at MOA! I can hardly wait to see you again in a short few months :)

Before Judge and Jury

The Schubert Club is a non-profit arts organization based in St. Paul. Every spring, they sponsor a scholarship competition for music students from junior high to college. I started competing in 7th grade; throughout the subsequent 8 years, I won a variety of awards, including First Place in the College Strings division in 2003.

They also sponsor several concert series, including the Courtroom Concerts. These Thursday afternoon concerts are held in downtown St. Paul's historic Landmark Center. This afternoon, I was a featured performer. Leah Siltberg and I performed Rebecca Clarke's Sonata for Viola & Piano (1919) - one of my favorite pieces in the viola repertoire.

Thanks to Sharon Carlson at the Schubert Club for coordinating this event!

Dodge Center

I spent today in Dodge Center at Triton Elementary School, where I spoke with and performed for all K-5 students.


One of my favorite moments: I walked into the cafeteria while the Kindergarteners and First Graders were eating lunch, and hundreds of little hands instantly shot up in the air and started waving excitedly. That illustrates to me the power of the crown - its ability to captivate audiences and give the wearer a larger voice and a broader audience.

Many thanks to Nancy Matti, the music teacher at Triton Elementary, for organizing this day!

A Girl's Best Friends

Tonight was Ladies' Night at Wedding Day Diamonds in Burnsville. They've recently added new lines of fashion jewelry to supplement their wide selection of engagement & wedding rings. I modeled this new jewelry (I've never worn that many diamonds simultaneously) along with fashions provided by Isabella Collections of Lakeville. Beautiful jewels, fabulous clothes... enough said.

(Photos forthcoming. Hopefully.)

MNSOTA (and yes, I know how to spell)

...that actually stands for Minnesota String and Orchestra Teachers Association, whose fall clinic and meeting was held this morning. Ken Freed, a violist in the Minnesota Orchestra, spoke regarding learning through music and the ways in which music relates to other academic areas. Jane Linde Capistran, faculty member of Concordia College in Moorhead, discussed how to balance the many roles a music teacher must play. I shared my journey of becoming Miss Minnesota and the reasons behind my platform. I met several educators from across the state with whom I was able to set up presentations and performances. The music world is a small place, and one connection always leads to another!

Center Stage

Last night, I made my solo debut with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra. I performed Max Bruch's Romanze for Viola & Orchestra, Op. 85.

(the performance (click the photo for full-size image)

with conductor Markand Thakar

According to the Duluth News-Tribune: "Swanson's silvery evening gown matched her consummate poise as she filled the auditorium with sonorous melodies."

I do have some video clips of the performance, and I'll post those as soon as I become fluent in YouTube!

Lakewood School

This afternoon, I visited with 5th-graders at Lakewood Elementary School in Duluth. They're about to begin a Science unit on sound, so we discussed how stringed instruments make sound and the differences between a viola and a violin. (In case you've been wondering: the viola is larger than the violin and has a deeper, lower, richer sound.)



On my last visit to Duluth, I enjoyed the fall colors. This time, it snowed. A mid-October blizzard. The students seemed to be excited about it, and during Q&A/Requests time, I ended up performing Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

I guess it's never too early to be festive - especially if you're a Minnesotan!

Happy Anniversary, Loffler!

Loffler Companies, Inc. celebrated 20 years of business this evening!

with Jim Loffler, founder and CEO

Loffler prints our program books and brochures - and does a fabulous job! I performed a little Bach on my viola and chatted with the guests: a variety of employees and clients from across the Midwest.

Congratulations, Loffler, on two decades, and best wishes for continued success!

Women in Leadership

Today, I was a guest at the Northland's News Center Women in Leadership Luncheon in Duluth. I was humbled to be a part of this event honoring 10 extraordinary women. Michelle Lee introduced each honoree with a brief story and background. The variety of these women's accomplishments is astounding, but they have one thing in common: a heart for leadership. An advocate for Down Syndrome awareness, a reverend committed to social justice, a college president, a stroke survivor-turned-author... I found myself wondering what the women of my generation - including my fellow titleholders of the Miss America Organization - will achieve throughout the coming decades.

with honoree Sister Virginia Schwartz (3rd from Left) and friends

Lance Secretan wrote, "Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration—of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. It is an attitude, not a routine."

Thank you to
-Barb Beeksma, Jodi Stauber, Shari Swenson, Kathleen Nelson, Judith Arvold, Reverend Kathy Nelson, April Wiita, Linda Bonney, Cleo Hutton, and Sister Virginia Schwartz... for demonstrating true leadership.
-Peggy Kott and Northland's News Center... for allowing me to be a part of this special occasion, and for taking the initiative to honor these extraordinary women.

A Day in Mankato

Shelly Bartlett rocks. Seriously. She's the director of the Miss Mankato Pageant, and she arranged for me to visit Mankato today and participate in a variety of activities...

I spoke to the Key City Sertoma Club at their luncheon meeting, hosted by Bob at the Bandana Brewery; performed for K-6 students at the Bridges School and answered their questions about being a musician; and spent time with preschoolers at Jesus Loves Me Preschool.

with Sertoma District Governor Susan Fix and Key City President Shelly Bartlett

an interview with KEYC-TV - Channel 12 in Mankato

Bridges Elementary School - K-6 students

Jesus Loves Me Preschool

so much curiosity!

I also made the evening news - click here to see the story.

Many thanks to Shelly & Justin on the Miss Mankato committee and my other hosts throughout the day!

Nobody Knows Trees Better

This morning, I recorded radio commercials for S&S Tree Specialists, the company for which my dad has worked for over two decades. The spots will air during Gopher and Twins games on WCCO-Radio!

We've Got Pep

In celebration of the Minnesota Twins’ victory as American League Division Champions, five thousand people gathered this evening at Peavey Plaza in downtown Minneapolis. As G.B. Leighton and the BoDeans provided crowd-rousing entertainment, I helped sell Homer Hankies and distribute wristbands and raffle prizes.

Towards the end of the evening, a man walked up to the booth and asked, “What’s the party for?”

Well… most of us have pep. Go Twins!