They say "Everyone a Has Story"

On this page, we are going to feature a member of the band every month or so.  You have seen and heard them play,  but have you ever really wondered who they were and how they became musicians?

Tina Toburen has been playing with the Moonlight Swing Orchestra for the past 18 years starting on 2nd Tenor then moving to the Baritone Saxophone chair 5 years later when Al Carter retired.  Like most musicians, Tina’s mom forced her to take piano lessons as a child, for which she is now grateful. Knowing that piano was not her cup of tea, her mom made a deal that if she would play her old clarinet, she could quit the piano.  Tina played clarinet in marching and concert bands at Hanford High School.  She also played in musicals with the Richland Light Opera Company.  She joined the jazz band in 9th grade when the school sent her home with a tenor sax. 

Tina was accepted to the University of Washington and decided to try out for the Husky Marching Band.  She made it!  At the first home game in 1988, the Husky crowd cheered for THE BAND.  Feeling the love from the crowd liking the band, she was sold on performing music from that moment on making life-long friends and falling in love with her husband.  She had also tried out for the UW Jazz Band.  Success again….she made it into Jazz 1 on 2nd  Tenor.  A couple of years later, the director Roy Cummings switched her to the Baritone Saxophone.  He laid the foundation for all her Baritone Sax skills with his coaching.  After attaining her Bachelor of Science degree from the UW in 1992, Tina put her horns away for 12 years.  She joined the Bellevue Community Band to rekindle her love for music which eventually led her to join the Moonlight Swing Orchestra in 2007.

When asked who musically influenced her the most, she credited such greats as Greg Metcalf (her private teacher in high school) and Roy Cummings, along with saxophonists Tom Scott, and Michael Brecker.  Tina also appreciates the swing sounds from Dorsey, Goodman and Ellington.

Outside of music, Tina is a “die hard” UW Husky football and basketball fan bleeding purple and gold as she travels around the country with her husband following the teams to games in their motorhome.  She is grounded by her pets - currently one dog and one cat.

When asked if there was anything people didn’t know about her, she said she loves to put puzzles together. Another little unknown fact is that Travis Ranney (saxophone) played at her wedding along with Doug Wilson (piano) and Steve Messick (bass).  Travis and Steve being very accomplished, local musicians still performing.  

Aside from all her Husky connections, Tina loves being able to connect with other musicians who share her passion of making beautiful music.  “That moment when the whole band hits a chord that just speaks…ah…that makes all the rehearsals worth every minute.”

Tina has been working in the power industry since 1993 after receiving her Masters in Mechanical Engineering.  Being self-employed at the moment she is working on her exit plan as those long road trips for work are not as enjoyable as they once were.

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra is lucky to have such an accomplished, dedicated and great musician in the sax section.