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When her older sister started taking piano lessons when the two were growing up in Lincoln, Geist signed up as soon as she was old enough to read music. Later, when her sister brought home a recorder from school, Geist wanted one, too.

"I fell in love with music," she said.

Her plan eventually was to the play the violin, the same instrument her sister ultimately landed on, until she watched "Mr. Holland's Opus" and saw herself in the red-haired girl in the movie who learns to play the clarinet.

"It was the universe telling me I had to play the clarinet," Geist said. "So my neighbor at the time ... took me to a flea market, which was at Pershing Auditorium, and we found the clarinet and the rest is history."

From there, Geist went on to be a drum major at Lincoln Southwest, studied music at St. Olaf College in Minnesota and Northwestern University, and, after college, auditioned for -- and earned -- a spot on the prestigious U.S. Navy Band as a clarinetist. 

In September, Geist, a 2005 Southwest grad, was promoted to the rank of chief petty officer during a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard, becoming just one of seven musicians in the band selected for the E-7 pay grade, joining an elite group of sailors to wear the coveted anchor collar device. 

"It's my dream job," said Geist, a St. Louis native who grew up in Lincoln and attended Sheridan Elementary School and Irving Middle School. "And I love the fact that this is music as a service. So I'm able to serve my country with I think what (is) my greatest gift, which is music."

Geist decided to enlist and join the band after visiting Washington in college. She had always loved playing in wind ensembles and orchestras -- including at St. Olaf, where she served as the school band president -- and knew a former section mate who joined the Army Band.

"And so (I thought) if she went through boot camp, I can go through it. It really seemed like something that I could do," said Geist, who now resides about 20 minutes outside of Washington.

Over the years, Geist has gotten the opportunity to play myriad events, including concerts at the White House and Pentagon, Navy ceremonies and performances overseas, including this past summer in South Korea. On New Years Day, the Navy Band will highlight the Rose Bowl Parade and then, just a couple of weeks later, they'll take part in Inauguration Day festivities.

But perhaps one of the coolest concerts Geist has performed in wasn't even with the Navy Band -- it was with the Rolling Stones.

In addition to playing clarinet, Geist also sings, and got a chance to share the stage with Mick Jagger and company when they swung through the Beltway in 2013.

"They wanted a chorus of about 20 of us to sing 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' at the end of the encore of their concert. And so they had auditions and I was selected for the group," Geist said. "It was a real treat."

Geist said she worked "extremely hard" to get her most recent promotion, which came with an intensive, six-week leadership course followed by a pinning ceremony in September, which her family attended. Now, as one of the more senior members of the clarinet section, she hopes to help shape the group and carry on the US Navy Band's traditions to younger members.

"We try to reach Americans where ships can't go."