By Brenda Erdahl
Lena Bougie comes from a musical family. Her grandfather on her mother’s side, Thaew Khotmit played the traditional Khaen Flute from his homeland of Thailand and loved it so much when he died, he was cremated with it. Her grandfather on her father’s side, Jack Bougie, was a bugler for the United States Military and played nearly all his life.
From a young age, Lena Bougie knew she wanted to play an instrument too, but she had a hard time deciding which one.
“I remember in the third grade I wanted to play the violin. In the fourth grade I wanted to play the trombone and in the sixth grade I wanted to play the tenor sax,” she said. “We lived in a townhouse and my parents thought the tenor sax would be too loud for the neighbors. They wanted me to play the flute because it was quieter. I didn’t want to at all,” she said.