1. My very first violin teacher, Linda Miltenberger Utz. You were my strings consultant at Suntree Elementary where I knew you as Mrs. Jones, and then at DeLaura Middle School as Ms. Miltenberger, and finally as my first private tutor as Mrs. Utz just before my 10th grade year. Although, you primarily play the viola, I didn’t want to study violin privately with anyone other than you even if that meant waiting till the 10th grade to study with you. Thank you for laying the foundation for my love of the violin. You were the first person I  told I wanted to become a professional violinist, so thank you for giving me the chance to work as hard as I could to “catch up”, fast tracking me through Suzuki books, preparing me for successful BSYO auditions, working on as much technique as we could with Kreutzer Études and learning the 1st movement of the Bruch Concerto for college auditions. I suppose it all started because of you. Thank you!