Leader Publications

EDWARDSBURG — An Edwardsburg woman’s lifelong passion has landed her a big role in this year’s Dogwood Festival.

Ruthann Adams, who owns and operates Adams Therapeutic Massage in Edwardsburg, plays oboe on the woodwind quintet, Lake Effect Winds, which will be performing at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Dogwood Festival.

As a wife and small business owner, Adams is busy these days. She still manages to find just enough time to stay fluent on the oboe.

Edwardsburg's Ruthann Adams will be playing with Lake Effect Winds at the Dogwood Festival Saturday.

“I don’t practice as much as I used too, it’s just so hard to fit everything in anymore,” said Adams, 57. “Sometimes I feel like I’m barely hanging on with my fingernails.”

Adams has been the oboist for Lake Effect Winds since 1998. The quintet performs a wide variety of music, ranging from Baroque and classical, to 20th century such as show tunes, big band and patriotic.

All of its members reside in southwest Michigan. Adams has lived in Edwardsburg for the past 25 years, but grew up near Wakarusa, Ind., where she first began playing the oboe at age 10.

She has a music degree from Indiana University South Bend and has played on the Andrews University Symphony and the Elkhart County Symphony.

For Adams, there’s nothing quite like bringing music to life with Lake Effects Winds.

“It gives me an avenue for self expression,” Adams said. “I love the camaraderie with the quintet. We get a long so well because there isn’t much ego or one-upmanship; we are all equals. It is great group to be associated with.”

Lake Effect Winds will be performing the Dogwood Festival’s annual “Toast ‘n’ Jam” session at the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival Headquarters, located at 207 Commercial St., Dowagiac.

Adams said the performance would be interactive and geared towards children. The quintet has performed at the Dogwood for the past several years.

“It’s so neat to get kids involved in and excited about music,” Adams said. “It is something you can carry with you for the rest of your life, like we all have. None of us make a living from music, we all have other jobs, but music is such an important part of our lives. We are serious amateur musicians.”