Featured April 2023

Stacey hasn’t missed a concert since joining the VSA in January 2010. She started on bass clarinet, and in 2015, after long-time principal clarinetist Larry Sims retired, she switched to B-flat clarinet.

Born and raised in Tracy, CA, an ag town that was about the size of Delta, she and her dad connected through music and dance. “He has a wonderful baritone voice, played euphonium in school, and taught me to swing dance by having me stand on his shoes when I was little.” She relocated to Montrose in July, 2007, with then fiancé Seth Ryan, who sings in the VSA Chorus as his schedule allows. They were married at the Beaumont Hotel in Ouray the following June. Both her dad and Seth sang to and danced with her at the wedding.

When Stacey was in the 3rd grade, her mom bought the clarinet that Stacey still plays for a whopping $50. “What a screaming deal! It turned out to be a top-of-the-line instrument!" In summer school that year, Joe E. Foster, who became her high school band director, taught her to play. In high school she studied under Dr. William C. Dominik, clarinet professor at the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA). A four-year member of the county honor band, she was also selected as a member of the prestigious symphonic level bands of all California All-State Honor Bands available (there are multiple) all four years (a rare accomplishment), and entered UCLA on a music scholarship in 1983.

After dropping the major, she didn’t play for 25 years. “I’d occasionally try, squeak and squawk, and figured I’d ‘lost my chops.’ When I was encouraged to join the Montrose Community Band for their 2009 Christmas concert, I feared my horn wouldn’t cooperate. Then Larry discovered a nasty split, and SuperGlue was the answer! The concert proved a tearful surprise for my folks who were visiting, as they hadn’t seen me on stage in 25 years.” As for the
hiatus, “It was shocking how fast my muscle memory returned, which bodes well for anyone who would like to dust off their instrument case and join us!”

Stacey holds a bachelor of arts degree from UCLA and a graduate certificate in computer programming from DU. Her varied career, personal and professional connections, and jack-­of-all ­trades skill set led the VSA Board
to approach her in 2018 to handle a few freelance marketing duties, which quickly expanded in scope. Since then, she has consulted as the VSA’s director of communications and development. Stacey works to build,
cultivate, and solidify meaningful, long-lasting in-kind and financial partnerships that are important and strategic to both giver and the VSA. Simply stated: she gets the word out, identifies potential matches, finds
common ground, and builds partnerships, all which serve to support the VSA’s immediate and long-term health while upholding the organizational culture of bringing classical music to life on the Western Slope.