Name: Jessie Greenbaum Goebel

Instrument: Principal Viola

Hometown: Amherst, MA

At what age did you begin playing your instrument?
I started violin at age 4 in kindergarten and switched to viola when I was 16.

Who have been your greatest musical influences? Itzhak Perlman, my Juilliard teacher Karen Tuttle, and Stevie Wonder.

Who are your favorite composers? Mahler, Brahms, and Shostakovich

What career path would you have taken had you not chosen music? I would be in a rock band (I know it is music but it's NOT classical and you have to know how to improvise...)

Your hobbies and interests: I love crosswords, sudoku, solitaire card games and cryptograms (and whatever puzzle you can come up with). I start each day with a crossword and a cup of coffee... my husband is not alowed to touch it until I have looked at it first, he knows. I also love playing outside with my young children.

Some little-known, yet interesting facts about you: I want to learn to improvise and to play the electric bass.

Funniest concert moment: The Phil had hired some high school kids to play their bagpipes in concert in front of the orchestra. After they finished playing, the conductor turned to the audience to introduce the concert. Meanwhile, the bagpipes' bags were deflating (SLOWLY) and making the funniest sounds I had ever heard while sitting on a stage. I physically could not keep a straight face and was laughing until tears were streaming down my face. I could not play for a long while... it was hilarious.

The question you're asked most often about your instrument (and your answer): Is the viola the one that you stand up with or the one that is between your legs?

Your favorite part about playing in the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra: I love my colleagues.