Fin

Lisa Kaplan told me on a cold evening in January that I really should apply to Music10 because not only is the program fantastic, but also because Blonay is a beautiful quaint town. "You will not want to leave," she said, and then proceeded to tell me how the Hindemith Center had their own cherry trees and gardens, along with plentiful desserts and clean air.

Truthfully, I was a bit skeptical, especially since it was so hard to imagine such a wonderful place when experiencing an icy bleak winter in the Midwest. And now that I'm experiencing a unbearably sweltering summer in the Midwest (a week-long heat emergency has been declared in Cincinnati, fyi), I realize that I did not want to leave.

The morning after the last concert was a bit surreal. There were a few remaining participants, each of us painfully recovering from the night before, staying up as long as possible wishing those who left earlier a safe journey home. While we were eating breakfast, the staff at the Hindemith Center undertook some serious cleaning in the salon. As I watched one of the ladies fluff and arrange the pillows on that slanted uncomfortable sofa, it hit me: I miss you dearly. I miss you all.

I miss hanging out with you; I miss eating with you. I miss playing ping-pong; I also miss going to concerts and performing with you. Trips to Vevey were fun; maybe I saw an opera with you that included a midget. All in all, post-festival depression has settled in. All I can do to alleviate this void is to log onto Facebook and hopefully grasp some form of virtual communication via status update or comment on the many photo albums that have appeared since the ending of this festival. It's pathetic; I know, but it's the only solution I can think of at this moment.

I hope I see you again. Chances are I might because the music world is so small, but I don't know when we'll meet. All I can say is, be well, do great creative things, and please stay in touch.