Allegra Q.

Allegra Q. is one of the El Paso Symphony’s most versatile violinists. In addition to playing violin, she also plays viola in the orchestra (though not at the same time) and is ready to switch on a moment’s notice. She prefers first to second violin because it’s more challenging. She gets to play second violin in the UACJ Symphony and that’s more than enough. She is one of the brave musicians who ventures to Juarez about once a month to play concerts there, in order to enrich the cultural life of that city. That, believe me, takes the nerves of a bullfighter. Her violin studies commenced with her mom and dad (both of them viola players!!!) at age one and by the time she was eight, she had appeared as guest soloist with the Las Cruces Symphony. This season, she will make her debut with the El Paso Opera, though not as a singer (or dancer). Yes, she could sing professionally if she wanted – take my word – but her gig with the Opera Company is with the Orchestra (and with its magnificent and distinguished conductor, Raymond Harvey). That will mark one more rung up the musical ranks for her. Allegra already plays in the Las Cruces Symphony's first violin section so that makes her one of the busiest fiddlers in town. She is a sophomore in college, so maybe by the time she’s a senior, she might be concertmaster? Who really knows? Her favorite classical violinist? Joshua Bell. Her big secret??? She knows every song on iTunes and she can dance better than Britney Spears. Her idol??? She isn’t telling.

Advice column

I am an experimenter - I should have been a researcher. I am about to conduct an experiment on this blog, such as it is. Effective immediately, I will be posting unsolicited advice on various topics - too numerous to mention - from anaconcada death grip avoidance to zebra stripe interpretation. I will try to avoid relationship advice - that's way too touchy a subject - now and then, if I can't help myself, it will be here too. I am the writer after all - and, best of all, it will be free. Very soon also, I will start posting profiles of various orchestra members. That will be interesting. They say that truth is stranger than fiction. So, how do you keep an anaconda from strangling you to death? If you can't totally stay away from the rain forest, keep a lighter in your pocket at all times. Light a fire under the snake's belly as soon as you notice it wrapping itself around you, being careful not to catch your own garment on fire. That's my best guess.