This post is a little different. It is not a lesson or a project, but one student's expression of gratitude for all of the lessons, performances, hard work and camaraderie that have defined her experience in the Virtuoso Program. If you are looking for something to make you smile and maybe even cry, this is it. When I asked Luci for permission to share her letter, she said, "I want faculty to read it and hopefully gain a better understanding of what VP is all about."
Not many teenagers can say they’ve had a dance party to Shostakovich’s 8th String Quartet. Or been lovingly threatened with a smack if they didn’t play with a dash of evil. Or anxiously performed in an adjudicated solo recital, only to have their nerves abated by a supportive swarm of orchestra nerds. But the musicians of the Virtuoso Program have. When you’re a musician of the Virtuoso Program you are not just a member of an orchestra, you’re part of a family. For the past four years, I have grown as a musician, stand partner, quartet mate, and friend. All due to this family. Originally, I was terrified of the program. I had never played with an accomplished orchestra before. I could barely sight read (but what’s new), and was anxious about dedicating myself solely to the violin. Like many musicians in VP, I had other interests besides my instrument and wanted to use high school as a time to further and explore those as well. But as soon as I attended my first sectional, performed in my first Vivaldi, and survived my first check in, I began to understand the true value and significance of this opportunity; what sets it apart from any other activity, class, or group. To put it simply, VP is unlike any other interest, passion, or extracurricular. And performing for the Virtuoso Program is a gift that many do not have the chance to receive. Everyday we convene in HOTA for rehearsal, leaving behind our commitments and friends in order to breathe new life into classical music. Setting everything aside, we focus solely on the task at hand - working section by section to hone our intonation or to find the perfect unified phrasing. We collaborate to do a piece justice, to preserve its integrity, to prompt emotion- to make people feel something. And we love it. But VP kids are not only bonded by our appreciation for classical music. We are bonded by the time commitment that tethers us to the program. After rehearsals, we enjoy pizza and listen to the Beach Boys, clumsily stumble along to a JustDance, or watch a Pixar movie. And of course, we practice. We frequently burst into each other's practice rooms, begging each other to sight read or to listen to Oistrakh’s interpretation of a certain cadenza. Everything aside - our community is what ultimately binds us together. The musicians of the Virtuoso Program prove again and again that they are not just talented musicians, but incredible friends. We are kin. We get it. And no one else at San Domenico really understands what it's like to be us. We see the world differently. We understand the value of classical music. We’ve been there at every rehearsal, every concert, every retreat for the past four years. We’re in it for the long haul. And we are friends. This unique bond, unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life, is heartwarming. And I am so devastated to leave next year. It makes my heart hurt. We all have to move on at some point but man it’s going to be difficult. It’s taken me a long time to comprehend and appreciate the impact VP has had on me as a musician and human. There have been moments when I wanted to give up and quit. When I just wanted to be like other kids at San Domenico. But I am so glad I pulled through. VP has made me who I am today. It has sculpted me into a better musician, performer, and person - preparing me for whatever future lies ahead. So thank you. Thank you to my orchestra-mates, my stand partners, my quartet, Rob, Ann, Sergei, Miles, Eugene. I love and miss you all. Luci P.
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June 2020
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