NASO's Heather Garner lives out her dreams

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It’s no accident that Heather Garner ended up a professional musician. Born and raised in New Concord, she spent her childhood visiting her grandparents, avid jitterbug dancers who always kept instruments around the house, listening to big band music.

Then, at 12 years old, Garner wanted to join her middle school’s impressive orchestra program, and asked her parents for a cello. Not wanting their daughter to carry something so large on and off the bus, they compromised on the instrument that would take Garner through high school, college, a master’s program and the founding of a symphony: the viola.

Shortly after she began to play, Garner’s middle school class took a trip to the Ohio Theatre to see A Christmas Carol. It was Garner’s first time to a theater of that caliber and, in that moment, her destiny was set.

“Sitting in the Ohio Theatre and seeing the stage and the beautiful carpet and the lighting and the mass amount of seats and people and excitement – all of that was thrilling for me,” she says. “At that moment, when I was in sixth grade watching A Christmas Carol with my classmates at the Ohio Theatre, I knew I wanted to do something in the Ohio Theatre. I thought that would be my dream job.”

Few get to see their sixth grade dream lived out. In that respect, Garner is in the minority. In her early 20s, during the first year of her master’s degree in viola performance at The Ohio State University, Garner step foot in the Ohio Theatre not as a patron, but as an employee. Her dream as a young girl had been realized.

“I remember walking backstage at the Ohio Theatre. I had goosebumps, I was maybe tearing up a little bit – I couldn’t believe it,” she says. “I couldn’t believe that I was doing exactly what I had dreamed of doing.”

Now, more than 20 years later, Garner has continued her position as an associate with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra and so much more. When she and her high school sweetheart, John, had their first baby, Jack, they knew it was time to move from their Clintonville home. Attracted to the warm community and the quality schools, they moved to New Albany. The couple had another son, Evan, and as her sons grew, Garner knew she wanted them to have access to a phenomenal orchestra program like she had.

“Jack grew up going sometimes Friday, Saturday and Sunday to the Columbus Symphony concerts. … I always joke that Jack had the best seat in the house, and got to hear every single Brahms symphony while in utero. He was really immersed in music,” says Garner. “A lot of people ask me, ‘How do you get your kids to stick with music?’ and I just say, ‘How do you get your kids to stick with math?’ It’s just what we do. It’s not considered an extracurricular, but a requirement, by mom.”

More than 10 years ago, when Garner heard of a construction project of a music hall to accompany New Albany-Plain Local Schools, she knew it was time to get to work: What else does a great music hall need than a great symphony? The New Albany Symphony Orchestra (NASO) was born, becoming the Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts’ resident symphony. The organizations celebrated their 10th anniversaries this year.

“It was really important for me to live in a place where the arts were valued and appreciated, and I knew with the building of the McCoy that I wanted to be able to give back in some way,” Garner says. “I wanted the orchestra program that my kids would be growing up in to be a powerhouse, I just wanted to create some really great energy in the community around the orchestra and the arts in general.”

In addition to her work as executive director with NASO, Garner is still a part of the Ohio Theatre and has been the assistant principal violist with the Lancaster Festival Orchestra for over 20 years. Music has infiltrated every corner of her life. Her entire family has helped with the NASO in some way, including support from her parents and in-laws to photography by her sons and husband. And she says NASO’s success is thanks, in large part, to the community.

“We could not do this without our volunteers; we have great volunteers,” says Garner. “It helps the organization thrive with the vast skill sets that they bring. This is what makes us really outstanding that we have so much talent in the community, and people are willing to share that talent with us.”

When asked what she does outside of the symphony, Garner asks, jokingly, “Is there anything?” She loves to read, involve herself in her sons’ activities and travel, and often finds inspiration for NASO programs through her travel. She is coach of her sons’ FIRST Lego League and FIRST Tech teams at NAPLS, and enjoys trips to the hardware store to stock up on items for 12-year-old Evan, who is an inventor.

Garner wanted her kids to grow up like she had, surrounded by music. Evan, 12, plays the cello and Jack, 18, plays the bass. In fall, Jack will leave New Albany to study engineering at OSU.

 After 10 whirlwind years with NASO, Garner says she still loves it, and her favorite part is creating entirely new programs, including the Saturday at the Symphony and Community Kindness series. And she still loves being a part of the New Albany community.

“When you’re younger you’re always looking – what next?” says Garner. “You get to a certain age and you’re like, ‘This is next.’ This is exactly where I want to be and what I want to be doing. It just keeps getting better every year here in New Albany.”

Catch the Symphony

Jeanne B. McCoy Community Center for the Arts

Sunday, Oct. 7, 3 p.m.: Beethoven 9

*Saturday, Oct. 9, 11:30 a.m.: Beethoven 9

*Saturday, Dec. 15, 11:30 a.m.: Santa and the Symphony

Sunday, Dec. 16, 3 p.m.: Holiday Spectacular

Friday-Saturday, March 8-9, 2019, 7 p.m.; Sunday, March 10, 2019, 3 p.m.: Sleeping Beauty

*Saturday, March 9, 2019, 2 p.m.: Sleeping Beauty

*Saturday, April 27, 2019, 11:30 a.m.: Viva Italia!

Sunday, April 28, 2019, 3 p.m.: Viva Italia!

*Sensory-friendly performances as part of Saturday at the Symphony series

For more information and to see the TBA Community Kindness schedule, visit www.newalbanysymphony.net.

Fit Five: Heather Garner shares her wellness habits 

1) Are there any foods you try to avoid or emphasize?

The only food I don’t eat is cantaloupe! Ick. I must have an aversion. I don’t even like the smell of it. I try to eat as clean as possible. Real butter, real cream, fresh fruit and veggies, grass-fed beef, and wild-caught fish – and those that know me well know that I plan my meal around what I am having for dessert.

2) What are your favorite ways to stay active?

I love our local New Albany Orange Theory and Pure Barre Studios and I do a lot of walking on our trails.

3) What do you like to do to relax?

I love to shop at Marshall’s and Home Goods – my husband calls this my retail therapy. I also love to paint; not on a canvas. I frequently change the paint color in my house. Instant gratification and totally mind-clearing for me!

4) How do you deal with performance anxiety, or channel it into something positive?

I had a teacher that once told me that feeling nervous before a performance is natural, and you actually need that extra burst of adrenaline to allow your brain to focus and your body to perform at its optimal level. Performing and staying focused for several hours on-stage can be exhausting physically and mentally – so I have learned to embrace a little nervous energy, knowing that my body is just preparing itself.

5) With hours of practice and performing on the viola, how do you avoid arthritis or other disorders commonly associated with playing an instrument?

I think proper technique is key to avoiding injury. Musicians deal with a lot of repetitive motion in the tiny muscles and tendons in the hands and arms so we definitely have to be careful. One of the best things I learned as a young musician is to have a strong core. If you perform with a solid foundation holding up the head, neck and shoulders, you have less tendency to fall into bad playing postures that cause injury.

Amanda DePerro is an editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.