Anne Michalak is our TriangleMom2Mom mom of the week. She is very much involved in the Philharmonic Association, which organizes symphonies and ensembles for young musicians in the Triangle. The groups will be having concerts next month.

Here's Anne with more ....

Mom2Mom: Tell us about yourself?

Anne: I have lived in the Triangle for 17 years. My husband Steve and I have three girls, who are all very involved in music. At our house, I’m not soccer mom, I’m music mom! Katie (16) plays oboe and percussion, Sarah (11) plays violin, and Halle (also 11) plays French horn. They all started on piano first, and continue to study piano with the Family Piano Academy. We discovered the local youth symphonies about four years ago and have now become very involved with the Philharmonic Association, which runs three wonderful youth symphonies, a new string orchestra for less experienced string players, and a jazz ensemble. Last year I volunteered as parent coordinator for the youngest group, the Triangle Youth Orchestra, which has 78 talented young people experiencing great classical music together with a great conductor. This year, I will be serving on the Board of Directors. As you can imagine, I spend much of my time taking my children to their various music lessons or rehearsals, and volunteering with the Philharmonic Association and the Band Boosters at our high school, but I love it! One of my biggest thrills is seeing my young musicians on the big stage at Meymandi Concert Hall playing great classical music as part of a full symphony.
 
A great way to introduce your child to great classical music is to bring them to one of our youth symphony concerts. When they watch other young people working together to make beautiful music, they will want to play an instrument too! Our fall concerts start in November: Triangle Youth Philharmonic, the most advanced symphony, will perform at Meymandi Concert Hall on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3pm. Triangle Youth Orchestra and Triangle Youth Symphony perform at Meymandi on Tuesday, November 24 at 7:00 and 8:00pm. To find out more about the Philharmonic Association, our musical opportunities for young people, and our concert programs, check out the website at www.philharmonic-association.org.
 
Mom2Mom: What's your favorite family place in the Triangle?

Anne: We all enjoy spending time at Falls Lake, either hiking or boating. The children love tubing, swimming and wakeboarding.
 
Mom2Mom: What's your favorite place for yourself in the Triangle?

Anne: I’m really a homebody, so I like to stay home and putter around in the house or yard. Second choice would be the bookstore. I like all the ones with a coffee bar! I also really enjoy an outing at one of our area gardens: the Raulston Aboretum, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, or Coker Arboretum.
 
Mom2Mom: What's your favorite ritual with your kids?

Anne: Talking about their day. They come home from school so excited at times, I love to hear them tell me all about it.
 
Mom2Mom: What did you eat for dinner last night? Can you share the recipe?

Anne: Since my day yesterday was a bit crazy, we did takeout from our favorite Thai restaurant, LemonGrass.  But, last weekend I made chicken with our favorite marinade that works equally well with chicken or salmon. Quantities are approximate. Mix together about 1 cup pineapple juice and 1/3 to ½ cup soy sauce.  Add roughly equal parts fresh peeled and chopped ginger and fresh garlic. Start with about a tablespoon of each and increase to taste.  If you are in a real hurry, you can substitute powdered ginger and garlic, but the fresh is better. Marinade about an hour, and grill or bake as desired.
 
Mom2Mom: What's your guilty pleasure?

Anne: Stolen moments with a really good book and a cup of tea or some dark chocolate!

Know a mom we should feature? E-mail me. And go to www.trianglemom2mom.com/meet and check back here every Monday to see what other Triangle moms are doing.