19 Things You Didn’t Know About Jenny Clarinet

Since most of my posts are centered around the clarinet and music, along with the fact that I am a naturally quiet person, I decided to share a few random facts about myself so readers can get to know me a bit better. I always enjoy reading about other people (especially the old-school tagged Facebook notes and Myspace surveys), so I hope you enjoy these bits of Jenny Clarinet trivia!

1. How I got the name Jenny Clarinet: When I first created a Facebook account in 2007, I used the name Jenny Clarinet so only my friends would be able to find me. As I got more friends on Facebook, people started calling me Jenny Clarinet in real life, and the nickname stuck.
2. I love Leonard Bernstein. I think he is one of the most influential people of the 20th century. His Young People’s Concerts exposed classical music to an audience who might not have otherwise experienced it, and his passion for anything related to music (education, composition, conducting, performing) is truly inspirational.
3. The first time I played with an orchestra when I was 12, I had the solo in Berlioz’s “March to the Scaffold” from Symphonie Fantastique. I had water in my key, so my solo debut was accompanied by an influx of spit.
4. I’ve been a vegetarian for nearly 20 years. No, I don’t eat fish. Yes, I eat eggs, but only in cakes and cookies.
5. I’m left-handed, and I always get compliments on my handwriting.
6. I really don’t like even numbers. I love odd numbers, especially prime numbers. (Which is why most of the lists I write for this blog are odd-numbered).
7. If I wasn’t a musician, I would have been a writer. Hence the genesis of this blog.
8. I’m really interested in cryptozoology (the study of supposedly folkloric creatures – Nessie, Bigfoot, Yeti, etc.) and can get lost for hours reading about this subject. It’s one of the main reasons I visited Inverness, Scotland – to look for the Loch Ness Monster.
9. I love horror movies, even though I usually terrify myself and can’t sleep for days. Some of my favorites are 28 Days Later, Saw, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
10. My favorite season is autumn. I love cozy sweaters, hot cider, crunchy leaves, chilly mornings, and pumpkin scented candles (oddly enough, I don’t like the taste of pumpkin).
11. If I won the lotto: After I gave my family and friends their share, I’d travel everywhere on my bucket list (see below).
12. A few items on my bucket list: learn to ballroom dance and become fluent in more languages (Faroese is at the top of my list)
13. Places on my travel bucket list: Rovaniemi, Finland; western Scotland; Antarctica – I prefer cold and rugged places.
14. Last time I was starstruck: When I met Martin Fröst in Paris.
15. Favorite animal: Cats! I grew up with 7 cats, and I spent several years volunteering with an animal shelter in Florida, where I was a designated “cat lady.”
16. Favorite books: anything Stephen King (especially the Dark Tower series); The Bell Jar
17. Favorite foods: guacamole, veggie sushi, spicy noodle dishes (especially vegetarian pad Thai), cookie dough ice cream, Cadbury chocolate, fries, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos (which I dearly miss when I’m in Paris)
18. Favorite composer: Tchaikovsky
19. Three words to describe myself: quirky, quiet, organized