From the Top

This is a picture of our initial rehearsal with Christopher O’Riley on March 24th.

Sophie and I were selected to appear on NPR’s From the Top at Merrill Auditorium in Portland, Maine and were asked to write about our experience.

On Tuesday afternoon we drove to Portland for our initial rehearsal with pianist and From the Top host Christopher O’Riley. We met the rest of the musicians and staff members and all played for each other in a master class kind of setting. Everyone was so nice and encouraging and the atmosphere was relaxed, contrary to what I was imagining.

On Wednesday afternoon we had a dress rehearsal and pre-taping of the show. It was extremely laid back and full of humor and smiles. Then came the final taping and show! It was a lot of fun to play at Merrill Auditorium. The acoustics were very much in our favor and the audience gave back so much energy!

This afternoon Sophie and I went to play at Learning Works in Portland. It is a program designed to help underprivileged students get their GED. It felt so nice playing for this audience. They asked questions and brought up points about music and the violin that I had never considered. This was the most rewarding part of the three days.

I was surprised to learn that From the Top does far more than their radio tapings. Now that we have been on the show, From the Top is essentially our advocate and support network if Sophie and I want to start an education program in the future.

The past few days were unbelievable. We had so much fun and are still trying to “come down” from the concert last night and the whirlwind experience. Music is a powerful beauty! Special thanks to everyone who came to the concert. Your support means so much to us!