As a little girl, Christina Grinius resented the hour a day her mother made her spend practicing the piano while her friends were free to play.

“Looking back, I am forever grateful,” Grinius said.

“It has brought me pure joy.”

Grinius began piano lessons at the age of 4 when her parents recognized her talent. She continued her music education through college, where she majored in microbiology and minored in music.

“It should have been the other way around,” Grinius said. “Regrettably, I did not realize the career opportunities out there.”

Grinius wanted to start a community choir 25 years ago, but instead the St. Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church choir found her. She took on the position of directing a choir of nearly 40 members and has been there ever since.

“I just remained at St. Al’s,” Grinius said. “My children literally grew up in that choir loft.”

The choir sang at Sunday Mass and under Grinius’ leadership branched into the community to perform at concerts and community events. The group collaborated with other choirs and traveled to sing at other churches.

“We were on top of the world,” Grinius said.

The choir has since dwindled and many members have died, Grinius said. It is unsettling that younger parishioners do not share her love of classical music.

“The classical art is becoming lost,” Grinius said. “We need to continue that thread going or else it will be lost.”

Looking ahead, Grinius plans to earn her master’s in music with a specialization in conducting and, of course, continue with her choir at St. Alphonsus.

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Notable
Grinius is president of a car club and she has a show car. A 1974 Dodge, highly modified.

& Quotable
“My life is really revolving around music right now. Maybe I’ve bit off more than I can chew, but this is my passion,” Grinius said.

Philosophy
“Life is stormy, and how you weather it makes the difference. If you do it with a smile, dignity and with grace, you can get through.”

Favorite
BOOK “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” any inspirational book
MOVIE “Chocolat”
FOOD Lithuanian food
HOBBIES Music, horses, show cars