Laurel was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. She began studying piano at age eight and clarinet at age ten. In high school, she participated in numerous regional and state competitions, was selected to perform at the Dorian Music Festival at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and was a member of a select wind ensemble of musicians from Minnesota and Wisconsin that toured and performed in Germany and Austria.

She graduated with a B.A. in music from the College of St. Thomas in St. Paul, where she studied with Francis N. Mayer, J. Cloyde Williams, principal clarinet of the Minnesota Orchestra, and Timothy Paradise, principal clarinet of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Laurel performed as first chair clarinet with the St. Thomas-St. Catherine Concert Band as well as principal clarinet of the St. Thomas-St. Catherine Orchestra, and performed in numerous solo recitals and ensemble performances including solo performances during a concert band tour of cities from Chicago to Washington, D.C. She was twice selected to perform as a soloist in the college's biennial Festival Orchestra Concerto Competition, accompanied by members of the Minnesota Orchestra and the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

Laurel has been a member of the Tampa Bay Symphony since its inception in 1986, and is currently serving as the Assistant Personnel Manager. Additionally, Laurel is very active as a pastoral musician at her church, playing in the hand bell choir and recorder consort, as well as singing alto in the choir. She performs regularly in solo and chamber music recitals and is a founding member of the Wessex Pro Musica, which performs early music. Laurel lives in Palm Harbor with her husband and three children.