Staff Profile: Sarah

It never fails: after attending a symphony concert or playing at a wedding, someone will inevitably come up to me and remark, "it's so nice to see a young person into classical music" or "it must be so fun doing something you love as a profession" or even "I'm glad you're involved with something as wholesome as classical music, rather than the kinds of music kids your age are wrapped up in these days."

Some of the musicians I encounter are no better...the instant they meet you, out comes their arsenal of questions...

"Where did you go to school?"
"Who did you study with?"
"What are you doing now?"
"Are you in school?"
"What music festival did you go to last summer?"
"What music festival are you going to this summer?"
"Do you know *insert name*?"

It's hard to explain why these things bother me – perhaps it is the attempt to classify me into a tiny box, or perhaps it is because I don't have a straight and simple answer to these comments and questions. Profiles bother me because it only scratches the surface of who I am, what I do, and why I do it. But since Andrew asked so nicely, I will comply.

I started playing the viola at age 9 -- when I didn't even know what a viola was. I did know that I thought the violin was too high and squeaky, and the cello was too big to carry around, so when someone told me a viola was in the middle, I thought, "perfect!" I didn't really know what I was getting myself into -- the years and years of merciless viola jokes, the setting loose of my rampant perfectionism, the countless moments of doubt and uncertainty of my future.

You could say that I've always wanted to be a musician -- and you'd be half right. There have been times where it's all I've wanted to do. There have been times when I was sure I didn't want to do it at all -- it was too hard, too competitive, too big of a risk. And there have been many, many times in between. If you're wondering when I outgrew all that -- well, I haven't. The only constant, I suppose, is that all along, even when I felt hopeless and disillusioned about it all, the thought of not pursuing music broke my heart.

As for Rush Hour's goal and why I became involved with it...my parents gave me a cassette tape (yes, a cassette tape) of Vivaldi's Four Seasons when I was young. And I played it over and over and over – I even put it in my Walkman and took it when I left the house. I didn't know at the time that classical music was supposed to be “stuffy” or “elitist” or hundreds of years out of touch with the world today. All I knew that was during the times where it felt like the world didn't understand me, I could listen to Vivaldi and know, just by hearing the music, that someone once had existed who did understand. Later I realized that most people do have the same crazy feelings as everyone else, but that music (or any artform) gives them a means to communicate those feelings with others. And if that's not “in touch” with what people are looking for in their lives today, I don't know what is. If people are given a chance, they really respond to classical music, and I view it as my job to make sure they get that chance.

But although classical music has played an important part of my life, it's not all of it. While at the University of Michigan, I not only got a Bachelor’s in Music, but also in Astronomy (or Astrophysics if I'm trying to sound impressive). I'm such a nerd that I bought a calculus book to review this summer. I rarely listen to classical music in my free time, since I spend a good amount of time listening to and playing it in my “working” time, and there are so many other kinds of music out there – as a musician, I love ALL music (if it's good)! I'm also a fan of yoga and renting TV shows from Netflix. When I'm not working at Rush Hour, you can find me playing in the Chicago Civic Orchestra or tutoring students in math and science. Oh yes, I almost forgot – what do I do at Rush Hour Concerts? I design the programs, contact the artists to arrange rehearsals, and act as stage manager during the concert itself, so most of the time I am backstage with the artists (which is why I'm not in any pictures, *cough cough*). It's very interesting for me to see the flip side of producing a concert – it's a lot more work than I thought! Although I admit I did have a sneaking suspicion...

Anyway, I'm sure you can expect more rambling, introspective essays from me throughout the season, but for now, just sit back and enjoy the concerts, and don't be shy about joining in on the blog discussions whenever you feel the urge. We'd love to hear everyone's thoughts!