Cellist adds to the sparkle of symphony's 4th of July tradition

On Saturday, July 4, Americans and their families will celebrate Independence Day with a historic experience. This year, the United States celebrates its Semiquincentennial, a national yearlong celebration of America 250. In Tallahassee, locals and their visiting families are invited to Tom Brown Park for the City of Tallahassee's "Celebrate America" event.

The event takes place on Saturday, July 4, from 6-10 p.m., featuring food trucks, kid activities, a spectacular fireworks display, and live music. The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra (TSO) will be the headliner. Marnie Kim Jones (who goes by Kim), a cellist who has performed with TSO since 2001, says that the program is one of the most exciting ever.

A family's artistic legacy

Kim Jones has been influenced by the arts since childhood, thanks to her family of artists. "My father conducted youth choirs and professional choirs for many years," Jones says. "I sang in many choirs as a teen and pre-teen, sometimes with my father conducting."

Jones also played the oboe in her middle school band. "I felt fairly sure I was heading toward a career in music around 9th grade." She fondly remembers choir trips to England, Wales, and Australia, as well as youth orchestra trips to Australia, England, Germany, and Eastern Europe.

Yet it wasn't only she and her father who were "one with the music." Jones also studied piano with her grandmother when she was young, while her brother and sister sang in choirs and played in the orchestra throughout high school. Her sister later taught music in early childhood education classes, while her brother is now an architect, with his wife being an accomplished painter.

The family's artistic legacy continues beyond that. Two of Jones's aunts were professional musicians - one played the violin, the other the cello. Their influence constantly flows with Jones when she plays. "I now have the honor of playing my aunt's wonderful cello and using her wonderful bow."

What led Jones to play the cello? "I initially chose to play cello because my sister had already started violin, and I felt I shouldn't disappoint my cellist aunt!"

Performing arts aren't the only form of art that Jones appreciates. An enthusiastic concert-goer and a lover of literature, Jones reads and listens to a vast number of books. "We [also] have paintings by three different family members [hanging] on our walls at home."

Treasuring performance and music making

Originally, Jones' home was in Calgary, Canada. She studied cello in Montreal and Rochester, NY, before moving to Tallahassee in 2001 with her husband, who is a professor of Music Theory at Florida State University College of Music. He is also Jones' stand partner in the TSO cello section.

As for Jones personally, she has a highly esteemed academic background in music. "I earned a Bachelor's degree in Cello Performance and an Artist Diploma in Cello Performance from McGill University in Montreal, as well as a Master's degree in Cello Performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester," Jones explains.

Since relocating to Tallahassee, Jones has performed with TSO under conductors David Hoose, Miriam Burns, Darko Butorac, and, currently, Yaniv Dinur, along with various guest conductors and artists. She also performs with other local orchestras.

"I have played in orchestral groups with the Tallahassee Ballet and the Tallahassee Community Chorus for many years, and I've performed on Baroque cello with the Tallahassee Bach Parley since 2010," she said.

Her performances include playing the cello and occasionally accompanying her students on piano. "I have also played a number of really memorable chamber concerts over the years with Jihye Chang, Eliot Chapo, Karen Clarke, Larry Gerber, Tim Hoekman, Beth Newdome, Pam Ryan, and Corinne Stillwell."

Other than performing, Jones has taught more than 200 private cello students since moving here 25 years ago. She was a visiting faculty member at FSU for a year, teaching all undergraduate cellists.

She has also served as a cello sectional and chamber music coach for the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra for over 10 years and has served on the TYO board. She has done all this while spending summers teaching and coaching cello at FSU summer music camps and running sectionals for the All-District orchestra a few times.

For Jones, this overflowing schedule of music making, year after year, comes down to a love of music."I really enjoy making music with my fellow performers, in groups of all sizes," Jones says. "I also treasure music's special role for audience members at a live concert. There's nothing like it."

Celebrating tradition at Tom Brown

The next live concert Jones will perform at is with TSO at the "Celebrate America" event at Tom Brown Park on July 4. She frequently joins TSO for their annual Independence Day celebrations. "I always enjoy our July 4th concerts," she says, "because of the inspiring music and the chance to connect with a broader, more diverse audience."

This year is more special than ever, with a coast-to-coast celebration as organizations commemorate "America 250" through concerts and cultural events. "It's a special honor to participate in this year's celebrations," Jones says. "The program is one of the most varied and exciting, and sure to be inspiring."

The Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra will perform at 8:45 p.m., followed by a spectacular fireworks finale, sponsored by the City's Electric & Natural Gas Utility, which will light up the sky starting at 9:50 p.m. In addition, food trucks and children's activities will be available, and attendees are welcome to pack a picnic. Beer will be available for sale to those 21 and older with a valid ID.

Jones states that the key to excitement about attending is the chance to join the community in a unique annual event. "The Celebrate America event at Tom Brown Park is a Tallahassee tradition!" she said. The event showcases Tallahassee's exceptional local talent and scenic outdoor areas, uniting people of all ages to enjoy the experience.

"Come celebrate with your Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra! It'll be a fantastic show…put your feet up and enjoy."

If you go

What: "Celebrate America", presented by the City of Tallahassee with a headline performance by the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra

When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, July 4

Where: Tom Brown Park, 501 Easterwood Drive

Details: tallahasseesymphony.org

Samantha Sumler is the Marketing & Communications Manager for the Council on Culture & Arts. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, COCA is the capital area's umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).

(This story was updated to correct a name spelling to Marnie Kim Jones.)

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Cellist adds to the sparkle of symphony's 4th of July tradition

Reporting by Samantha Sumler, Council on Culture & Arts / Tallahassee Democrat

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This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 1:35 PM.