Dina was born in Pasadena, Texas and moved to the northwest side of Houston with her family when she was five years old.  She is a graduate of Klein Forest High School and attended Sam Houston State University on a music scholarship.   

Born into a musical family, she began playing the violin at age 11 and played all through junior high and continued in the music program in high school as a member of the award winning Klein Forest Symphony Orchestra.  While in high school, she participated in several fiddling competitions with her father accompanying on the guitar.  She also played violin in her church orchestra and sang in the church youth choir.  On occasion, she was asked to play and sing at weddings.   

While attending Sam Houston State University she began playing fiddle with a local country & western band.  Upon returning to the Houston area, she played fiddle and sang lead and harmony vocals as a member of the Texas Roadhouse Band, playing southern rock, blues, swing and country & western classics.   

She attended Camp Bluegrass in Levelland, Texas where she took jazz and swing class under the instruction of Texas guitar legend Slim Richey.  It was at Camp Bluegrass that she had an opportunity to play with such bluegrass legends as Joe Carr, Alan Munday and Roland White.  She also played with Texas fiddle icons, Dale Morris and Texas Shorty. 

Dina lives south of Tomball with husband, Bryan, and their two black cats, Java and Espresso.  She is a long time book lover and bookseller and is on the management team of Barnes & Noble.  She is an active member of Bay Area Bluegrass Association and enjoys playing fiddle and singing lead and harmony vocals as a band member of Cypress Creek.   Musical influences include, Bob Wills, Cliff Brunner, Merle Haggard, New Grass Revival, Alison Krause, Sam Bush, Keb Mo, k.d. lang and admires the amazing song writing skills of Cindy Walker.   

Dina plays a handmade fiddle that was crafted in 1934 by a retired Navy captain.  It was a gift she received from her father when she was in high school.