Edwardsburg oboist to play Dogwood
Published 9:38 pm Thursday, May 10, 2012
EDWARDSBURG — An Edwardsburg woman’s lifelong passion has landed her a big role in this year’s Dogwood Festival.
Ruthann Adams, who owns and operates Adams Therapeutic Massage in Edwardsburg, plays oboe in the woodwind quintet, Lake Effect Winds, which will be performing at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Dogwood Festival.
Adams
As a wife and small business owner, Adams is busy these days but finds just enough time to stay fluent on the oboe.
“I don’t practice as much as I used to; it’s just so hard to fit everything in anymore,” said Adams, 57. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m barely hanging on with my fingernails.”
Adams has been the oboist for Lake Effect Winds since 1998. The quintet performs a music, ranging from baroque and classical to 20th century, including show tunes, big band and patriotic.
All of the group’s members reside in southwest Michigan. Adams has lived in Edwardsburg for the past 25 years, but grew up near Wakarusa, Ind., where she first began playing the oboe at age 10.
She has a music degree from Indiana University South Bend and has played on the Andrews University Symphony and the Elkhart County Symphony.
For Adams, there’s nothing quite like bringing music to life with Lake Effects Winds.
“It gives me an avenue for self expression,” Adams said. “I love the camaraderie with the quintet. We get along so well because there isn’t much ego or one-upmanship; we are all equals. It is great group to be associated with.”
Lake Effect Winds will perform at the Dogwood Festival’s annual “Toast ‘n’ Jam” session at the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival Headquarters, 207 Commercial St., Dowagiac.
Adams said the performance would be interactive and geared towards children. The quintet has performed at the Dogwood for the past several years.
“It’s so neat to get kids involved in and excited about music,” Adams said. “It is something you can carry with you for the rest of your life, like we all have. None of us make a living from music, we all have other jobs, but music is such an important part of our lives. We are serious amateur musicians.”
