
There is a new member of the St. Louis Symphony. It is an addition that almost brought bassoonist Felecia Foland to tears. “I am just so happy,” she said. “I could cry.” Felicia has a brand new custom-made bassoon case cover.
The red, black and gold cover is easy on the eye, but the process of getting the cover was hard. “I invested in a new case for my bassoon, but I could not find a cover that fit,” she said. That’s when Bassist Carolyn White jumped into action.
Carolyn spent weeks making the bassoon case cover for Felicia. Carolyn is known for her precise play with the orchestra, but her talents extend beyond the stage. She has been working on creative projects, like the bassoon case cover, since she was six. “I really enjoy it,” she said. “It is my purpose in life.”
Carolyn once made red sequins shoes for the entire orchestra to wear during a performance of the Wizard of Oz.
The cover is waterproof and will help protect Felicia’s bassoon from cold winters and hot summers. It is also equipped with zippers that Carolyn ordered from New York, and It has a special pocket for bassoon reeds and sheet music. Felicia showed off the cover backstage during a recent STL Symphony rehearsal. ‘It’s just so beautiful,” she said.
Some people might call the case a simple accessory, but for Carolyn and Felicia it is a symbol of the bond shared between STL Symphony musicians.