She was born in 1972 in Illinois, where she began her musical life first as a flutist, and began composing in the 1980's. After high school, she attended the University of Illinois, where she studied composition with Salvatore Martirano and Morgan Powell, and flute with Janet Scott and Alexander Murray. She received both Bachelors and Masters degrees in composition at the University of Illinois, before moving to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. At the University of Washington, she spent three years as a staff member at the Center for Advanced Research Technology in the Arts and Humanities (CARTAH), and has been a teaching assistant for several computer music and ear-training courses. Linda's composition teachers include Richard Karpen and Diane Thome at the University of Washington. She also studied flute in Seattle with Paul Taub.