[3] She studied horn with Max Pottag throughout high school,[3] and later with Philip Farkas and Arnold Jacobs, all members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
[2] Beginning at age eighteen,[6] she played principal horn in the Chicago NBC Radio Orchestra from 1941 to 1950, where she was the only woman.
[3] Merker performed with popular artists including Barbra Streisand, Ramsey Lewis, Quincy Jones,[2] the Jackson Five, and John Denver.
[6] She recorded on popular albums including those released by the Rolling Stones,[2] Smothers Brothers, and Diana Ross and The Supremes.
[9][2] The Merker-Matic was a Kruspe-wrap dual bore double horn that offered a variety of bell options and featured mechanical valve linkages.