Music

So, today, the highlight is music.

I love the musical scene here.

While everyone is extremely brilliant, smart, and talented, there are so many people here who play musical instruments: well, too! For example, I met two violinists today who had excellent tone qualities, great technical proficiency, and a handle on musical style.

Another was meeting a flutist who was reinvigorated to play music after we played the second movement of Brandenburg 5 with a Juilliard pianist friend of mine. She had one of the purest flute tones I have ever heard, and it was just amazing to be able to continue playing music at such a high caliber here in New York.

And yet another was a composer who studied at Juilliard with a professor before coming to Columbia--I'm sure I'll find out more on him later, but so far, I know he enjoys composing/conducting and plays the piano and clarinet.

The the pianists--my goodness there are so many of them! It seems like everywhere I turn, someone's playing one of the pianos in the various lobbies Columbia has to offer. And every time I hear that someone is playing an instrument, they seem to always say that they played piano first. Thank God for the public school system, which invited so many of these pianists to play other instruments also! These pianists are also accompanied by guitars, and there's a nice modern music scene here (like..actual modern music, not classical modern). Improv seems to be something enjoyed strongly.

It's just that these people, while so musically talented, are also pursuing other goals, be it Sustainable Development, Art/Architecture, or Neuroscience, while also planning to go audition for the CU Orchestra, the Wind Ensemble, etc. So while being musical, they are also smart: qualities I feel go hand in hand toward being the "complete" person.

I'm very optimistic--today's been a great day.