YMMC has invariably been a major source of emotional reprieve, human connection, and lifelong friendships for me and my fellow musicians. When I joined YMMC, I never expected to also be joining a tightly-knit family of musicians from all walks of life. From trading laughs with the brass section, to sprinting home last-minute for forgotten black concert socks with some violinists, to letting dinner go cold and sharing stories till dawn with people I now consider my best friends, I cherish every relationship I’ve forged in these orchestras. 

 

When I look back at my adventures within the concert halls, it’s not the standing ovations I remember, and it’s not the bad notes that stick. It’s the experiences I’ve amassed and the people I’ve loved. It’s the arresting notion that, maybe, something more beautiful about ourselves emerges in our wake. 

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Though its members come and go with the years, I dearly love this organization and its indefatigable spirit of community, and I’m incredibly lucky to continue to be a part of it as it enters a new era.