Memories

6 years ago I won the Sister Cities Concert Competition and performed the Barber Violin Concerto with the Lakewood Symphony. Also on the program was Mark Simpson, clarinet, from Liverpool, England (seen below).

Part of winning the competition is a two week summer tour of Chester England. This trip proved to be much more influential than I could have imagined. Falling between my Junior and Senior years of high school, this trip reignited my passion for performing and reinforced my desire to pursue music in college. The tour included several performances in the area surrounding Chester, inside churches, schools, and even the city's cathedral. I performed a prepared recital set for several different audiences in such varied, unique venues. I was able to perform with several incredible pianists and shared performances with several other gifted performers. These recitals allowed me to experience a side of being a musician that is rarely experienced. I fell in love with soloing and touring!

While performing was a significant highlight of the trip that I often remember, it was the friendships I made and the places I saw that hold tight to my heart strings. I lived with two families during my two week stay. The first was the family of Simon Bates, a high school trumpet player whose family owned a milk farm. The farm was full of rich character and gave me the unique experiences of star gazing through a hand made telescope, drinking fresh milk and losing my "wellie" in the mud. The second family, of winner Mark Simpson, lived in Liverpool. Here I saw city life--flagging taxis and eating french fries and Indian food at midnight while out on the town. Both families and experiences were amazing----ones I often think of and will never forget!

Here I am with the Bates family (left) and the Simpson family(right)

Tomorrow is the annual Sister Cities concert with the Lakewood Symphony. It is my favorite concert because I am always flooded with memories of the great experiences, the great people, and the great music that I met back in 2007. I cannot express my gratitude enough to those people who made my trip possible...but if you're out there and listening...Thank you!