Winter 2006
Barbara Novak: Business as ministry
After Barbara Novak ’72 received an M.A. in bassoon performance from Southern Illinois University, she became second bassoonist in the Spokane Symphony. “I really got a chance to play everything from the great second bassoon parts to the great contra bassoon solos. I had a great time . . . . I think that the training I got in the orchestra here [Washington State University] was superb. It probably was the catalyst that . . . launched me into performing as a career.”
Novak’s life was changed, though, by the tragic death of her son, Steve, in a mine exploration accident.
“When my son died, … » More …