Growing up surrounded by music in the Deep South of Mississippi, Dina began playing trumpet at age 12. Growing up on the Gulf Coast, she played in her high school band, concert band and in the pit for nearby Pascagoula Little Theater. She also sang and performed in 40 person church musical productions. Her college music career found her marching and performing at Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College and Mississippi State University where she marched with Mississippi State’s Famous Maroon Band.
Dina got her computer science degree at Mississippi State University (MSU) and worked at MSU’s Aerospace Department for 7 years before she and husband, Andy, moved to Silicon Valley. She began volunteering with the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley in 1998 and still does wildlife consulting for deer and fawn with a number of Centers. After some time away from the instrument, a couple of Christmas musicals offered a chance to play again and in 2011 an opening in the South Bay Philharmonic developed. After her first concert with the South Bay Philharmonic, she laid out nine months to recover from lung surgery -- she recovered, rehabbed, and came back and still plays with the South Bay Philharmonic today.
With great encouragement from Joey Wyatt she joined Sons of Jubal, a Christian Big Band of Cupertino, May of 2013. The group welcomed her and she is excited to play with them today. Playing with Sons of Jubal has allowed Dina great growth in her jazz playing skills. She also plays with a Christian based Home School band called Sounds of Joy and another jazz group, Velvet Swing of San Jose. Recently, she was added to the trumpet section of the Ohlone Community Band.
