Bassoonist Carole Mason Smith has been a member of the The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra since 1980. With the SPCO, she has performed Vanhal’s and Deitter’s concertos for two bassoons with former SPCO principal bassoonist, Chuck Ullery, and is a frequent participant on the SPCO Chamber Music Series. During the 2001-02 season, Smith served as Principal Bassoonist of the SPCO, and she has been Principal Bassoonist of the Minneapolis Pops Orchestra for many years. Smith is a founding member of the Halama Wind Octet and teaches bassoon both privately and as adjunct faculty member of Hamline University and Macalester College.
In my teaching, I emphasize good preparation through study of the fundamental elements of general musicality and of those skills specific to the bassoon, and I encourage my students to fully participate whenever musical opportunities arise. I believe we make our own luck through good preparation even as we are on the lookout for opportunity.
“Luck is What Happens when Preparation Meets Opportunity.” -Seneca, Roman philosopher
