(no subject)
On November 18, 1995 Itzhak Perlman, the world famous violinist came on stage to give a concert at Lincoln Center in New York City. What you may not know is that Perlman was stricken with polio as a child and has braces on both legs and walks with crutches. He walks with difficulty, yet majestically until he reaches his chair.
For those who regularly attend his concerts, this is a familiar visual. However on this occasion something went wrong. Just as he finished a few bars of music, one of the strings on his violin broke. The people who were there that night thought he would have to get up and get a new violin and walk back to his chair.
But that didn't happen. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played where he had left off. And, according to reviews, he played with more passion and power than he had ever played before. Professional musicians know however, that is considered impossible to play a symphonic work with only 3 strings. But that night, Perlman refused to acknowledge that. He changed tempo, recomposed the piece in his head, and got sounds from his violin that have never been made before.
When he finished there was total silence in the room; then there was an extraordinary outburst of applause in every corner of the auditorium. Itzhak smiled, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, raised his bow to the audience and in a quiet tone said "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."
What a powerful line that is. Not just for artists, but all of us. Here is a man who has prepared his whole life to make music on a violin with 4 strings, who all of a sudden finds himself with only 3strings- and the music he made that night was more beautiful, more memorable than any he had made before.So perhaps our task is to do the best we can with all that we have. And when it is no longer possible, do our best with what we have left.
In a time when so much has been taken from us all, through wars terrorism, family tragedies, disease, even a shaky economy, lets stop for a moment and think how we can make beautiful music with what we have left.
-Dr. Barret
Notes from the principal's Desk (edited for length)
For those who regularly attend his concerts, this is a familiar visual. However on this occasion something went wrong. Just as he finished a few bars of music, one of the strings on his violin broke. The people who were there that night thought he would have to get up and get a new violin and walk back to his chair.
But that didn't happen. Instead, he waited a moment, closed his eyes and then signaled the conductor to begin again. The orchestra began, and he played where he had left off. And, according to reviews, he played with more passion and power than he had ever played before. Professional musicians know however, that is considered impossible to play a symphonic work with only 3 strings. But that night, Perlman refused to acknowledge that. He changed tempo, recomposed the piece in his head, and got sounds from his violin that have never been made before.
When he finished there was total silence in the room; then there was an extraordinary outburst of applause in every corner of the auditorium. Itzhak smiled, wiped the perspiration from his forehead, raised his bow to the audience and in a quiet tone said "You know, sometimes it is the artist's task to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left."
What a powerful line that is. Not just for artists, but all of us. Here is a man who has prepared his whole life to make music on a violin with 4 strings, who all of a sudden finds himself with only 3strings- and the music he made that night was more beautiful, more memorable than any he had made before.So perhaps our task is to do the best we can with all that we have. And when it is no longer possible, do our best with what we have left.
In a time when so much has been taken from us all, through wars terrorism, family tragedies, disease, even a shaky economy, lets stop for a moment and think how we can make beautiful music with what we have left.
-Dr. Barret
Notes from the principal's Desk (edited for length)