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College Reunion

June 5, 2007 at 2:06 PM

I went back to Princeton for my 20th reunion last weekend. The Princeton University Orchestra has started a tradition of playing a pre-fireworks lawn concert, something that they didn't do when I was a member from 1985-87. I also missed the alumni get-together, to which I would have showed up as a violist, because it was held during the morning I was driving up there. So I didn't bother to bring along my instrument, thereby breaking my latest 35-day practice streak :(

During my sophomore year, I was in a string quartet class with three other musicians. I was the first violinist. I saw the second violinist and the cellist and asked them if they were still playing. It turned out that both were in community orchestras, and the 2nd violinist said he'd also been in 2 quartets. Now I feel like a slouch, giving up playing for 7 years! I got home and started over last night with day 1 again.

Don't worry about being a slouch, Karen. Just play your best now. I hope you had a good time at the reunion. Those events are often great.
Hey Karen, that sounds like so much fun you had to meet all these folks you used to play together 20 years ago! You know, I never go to school reunion because I can’t face the inevitably comparison that will happen in these circumstances. You are way more brave than I am in this sense. But of course, you’ve got so much accomplished and I’m sure you just make others in awe. I can just imagine myself standing next to you and thinking to myself, how on earth she manages all these obligations and still playing the violin and viola!
Yeah, it was fun. I was sort of kidding when I said I felt like a slouch. I thought it was great that others like me were still playing alongside demanding nonmusical careers, and I was sorry I'd missed the orchestra alumni barbecue. They were playing through a Beethoven symphony, I think. It would have been very interesting to try to sight-read the viola part of that!
Karen--rest is a good thing!. I'm back into my next cycle after almost 3 weeks off but haven't started keeping records yet. My gardens are grateful, my wrist too!.