What She Does: While her official title is "founder, artistic director and principal oboist' for the orchestra, Lawyer says a more accurate description of her various duties is "Musician/connector/ fundraiser/performer/marketer/creative collaborator/concert programmer/spokesperson/planner/ talent scout/negotiator/humorist/ PR and event coordinator/ janitor/mom/wife/ daughter, cat owner, coffee, coffee, lunch, coffee, coffee, wine meetings every day, ruthless prioritizer/and tireless ROCO advocate."
Can you gives us a shorter version, we ask. "Wildcatting entrepreneur spreading joy through music," she says.
What She Likes About It: Lawyer tells us her goal is to create experiences, not just produce events. She likes connecting people to people through the arts. She's the artistic director, yes, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's in charge -- or that she wants to be. "I don't tend to have agendas for meetings. Instead, I like...conversation and brainstorming." She's looking for "true partners."
What Inspires Her: On a personal level, Lawyer is motivated by the desire to connect to people. ROCO's performances are a way for everyone in the orchestra to connect with each other and with audiences. "Our concerts are like quilts stitched together. The composer brings his or her premiere, our conductor brings a favorite piece, the musicians have a list of music they would like to perform and I get the privilege of pulling it all together, all of the personalities, all of the music, all of the talent."
If Not This, Then What: When Lawyer was younger, she had a very definite career plan. She wanted to be a physicist. "Ever since I read this fantasy/sci-fi book, Einstein's Brain, in seventh grade, I wanted to get involved with the Unified Field Theory.I started that way in college, but changed my major to oboe.
"I had thought about running for office [when I was] in college, but I was on Student Senate at [Southern Methodist University,] and saw the amount of red tape [involved] in just that group. It ruined me for wanting to get mired in our political world in the U.S."
In the end, music wins out. "This gig with ROCO is my favorite thing and right where I need and want to be."
If Not Here, Then Where: Many of the people profiled in this series tell us they are happy in Houston and wouldn't consider moving somewhere else at this point. Very few of them are as adamant as Lawyer. Is there some other city that she'd like to live in, we ask. "Nope, nope, nope! ROCO was created by Houston, in Houston and for Houston. I love our city!"
Is there nowhere else she'd like to live, we persist. Finally she says she'd consider living in Houston during the ROCO season and spending her summers in Colorado or Costa Rica.
What's Next: ROCO, ROCO and ROCO comes the answer. Lawyer is planning season 11 for the orchestra -- it's called Side by Side. The group will continue performing its annual slate of 39 concerts throughout Houston and perform on national broadcasts of Performance Today . Four world premieres of new commissions are also on the schedule.
