Earle Folger

Earle Folger – Percussionist Hi, my name is Earle Folger. I am a percussionist for the Summerville Orchestra and have been since 2008. I originally picked up the drums because I thought it would make me popular with the girls! I was wrong…again. I started playing in the 7th grade middle school band. I played […]

Nikolai Stem

Nikolai Stem – Clarinet Hi, I’m Niko Stem and I’m a clarinetist with the Summerville Orchestra! I’ve been living in or around Charleston for about five years now and work as a software developer in health information technology. From a young age, the jokes about be picking the clarinet because of SpongeBob Squarepants were there, […]

Michelle Buchanan

Michelle Buchanan – Violin I started playing violin in 5th grade. I chose the violin because I loved the sounds that were produced from the instrument and my cousin also played violin. Ever since then, music has been my passion and I became a music educator. About 2-3 years ago I joined the Summerville Orchestra […]

Erin Yardley

Erin Yardley – French Horn When I first joined the band in 4th grade I played flute.  By 7th I was a horn player (too many flutes). I joined the S.O.  6 years ago as principal horn and more recently joined the Music Selection Committee. I studied music performance in college before turning to a […]

Lillian Garcia

Lillian Garcia – Percussion I started playing drums in the 6th grade when I lived in Virginia Beach. I originally wanted to play saxophone, but I had childhood asthma and thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I have a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from James Madison University, and I taught middle and high school bands […]

Samantha Clark

Samantha Clark – Viola I started playing the viola when I was in fourth grade, and I picked it because all my classmates wanted to play the violin, and I knew I needed to be different! I filled in as part of the viola section for several years, and then Wojciech contacted me about the principal […]

Dean Glace

Dean Glace – Trumpet My father bought a used trumpet when I was 7 years old and he and I started learning the trumpet together. I played through middle and high school and college. I was a member of the orchestra, symphonic band, brass choir, brass band, 26-piece big band, and 250-piece marching band at NC […]

Ethan Pruitt

Ethan Pruitt – Trumpet I’m Ethan and I started trumpet my 5th grade year in 2002. I decided to play trumpet because it was either the trumpet or percussion and at the time I already had a brother that played drums on and off so I decided to go with the trumpet. I first played […]

Zachary Bian

Zachary Bian – Violin I’ve played violin with the orchestra since 2016, when I got a flyer about it in the mail, and I needed something to do outside of work. As for the violin, I’ve been playing for over 25 years. Outside the orchestra, I enjoy learning about and playing various other stringed instruments, […]

Betty Settle

Betty Settle – Violin I began playing violin in the 5th grade. I played 2nd violin all the way through junior high and senior high school. Furman University did not have an orchestra when I was there, so I did not have an opportunity to play again until after I retired. I had two careers: first, I worked as […]

Amy Fu

Amy Fu – Flute I started playing flute in the 6th-grade Beginning Band. On the first day of school, the band director went around the room, called us out by name, and asked what instrument we wanted to play. I picked the flute because it was the only band instrument I could think of at […]

Frank Miley

Frank Miley – English Horn I am Frank Miley, and I play oboe and English horn with the orchestra.  I started playing oboe during my sophomore year at Goose Creek High School – 1970 or so. I like to say that I didn’t pick the oboe; the oboe picked me. Truth is, though, that my band […]