How long in Alaska: Lynne Sinnhuber and her husband moved to Kodiak in 1976 and to Homer in 1978. "We visited Homer and just fell in love with it. When opportunities opened up we moved here."
Once in Homer, the Sinnhubers decided to raise a family. They have two children.
Her day job: The Sinnhubers run a fish guiding business during the summer months, leaving their winters free. "We work 24 hours a day for five months," she said. Sinnhuber also is a member of the Kachemak Bay Watercolor Society.
Her artistic background: Sinnhuber, adopted as a baby, was interested in the arts early on.
"I was into art as a child. I loved art and music and dance," she said. "My parents that adopted me did as well as they could. I got piano lessons; I (had) dance lessons from preschool through high school."
Unlike Sinnhuber, her adoptive parents weren't drawn to the arts. When she found her birth mother through what she called "a series of miracles," Sinnhuber said it was easy to see where she got her creative tendencies. "She's a pianist, she sings, she's an oil painter," she said. "I feel like who we are is hereditary. It validated my passions."
How she joined choir: Sinnhuber returned to music when she was a chaperone for the Homer High School Concert Choir/Kenai Peninsula Community Chorus trip to New York City in 2002. "I couldn't let go of that crowd. I was so impressed with the people involved in choir. It felt like a family. I clicked in with the passion for the music," she said.
The choir's next project was Carl Orff's "Carmina Burana." "With a fair amount of trepidation, I signed up. It was an amazing experience," said Sinnhuber.
Handel's "Messiah": "The process to me is so fascinating. You get this stack of music, and what you have is total confidence in (conductor Mark Robinson). He knows the time frame it's going to take. You grow to just love this music and it starts filling up every fiber of your body," she said.
Sinnhuber described her first experience hearing the "Messiah's" famous "Hallelujah" chorus on a record as a child.
"I stood up. (I thought) 'What is this music?' In later years, to realize people actually stand (up) for that I just felt, 'This is magnificent.'"
"It's so complex. That's what I love about it. The spiritual content of it is so beautiful... (That is) the truest value of the piece," she said.
Best choir moments: Sinnhuber lists enjoying the acoustics of the Homer High School choir room and performing in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican as among her proudest musical experiences, as well as seeing Robinson make his signature gesture to show he's happy with a performance.
"I love it when we perform and Mark's really pleased with what we've done and Mark does this little pat on the heart," she said. "I could die right there."
Compiled by Carolyn Norton, staff writer
