Newport String Project at Home with Education Director Jacob Mackay

Here I sit, ensconced in my apartment waiting for inspiration to strike. My fitness goals were forgotten weeks ago, and the stack of books to read has somehow only grown taller. The houseplants are slowly expiring along with my capacity to think optimistically. I have baked a truly obscene quantity of artisan bread, and the only skill I’ve honed is the ability to recite nine seasons of The Office from memory. Last week, I watched so much CNN that in a belligerent stupor I accidentally performed fifteen consecutive push-ups. The regret that followed was overwhelming, and my news consumption has now been rationed to 30 minutes every morning, preferably over coffee and a multivitamin. So here I sit, ensconced in my apartment waiting for inspiration to strike.

From the other room, I hear the FaceTime alert emanating from my computer. Oh right, teaching! I leap out of my favorite chair and quickly excavate my cello from the debris field that has become my sheet music collection. The task at hand is to teach Minuet No. 2 over the internet, which I’m sure would have amazed the hell out of Bach if he were alive. After shaking the mental image of Bach in a wig and face mask, I fall into the familiar pattern of play-talk-listen, play-talk-listen. Then something truly unexpected occurs to me: that’s right, I really love playing the cello! Teaching kiddos over FaceTime is still teaching! Minuet No. 2 is a flawless creation! And all that blathering about music being powerful and healing might actually be true! 

I finish the lesson and return to my chair. It’s a leather armchair that came with my apartment. Truth be told, it’s the main reason I decided to live here in the first place. Basking in the afterglow of an elementary cello lesson, I start thinking positively for the first time in a long while. What a luxury to be fed, housed, and at least partially-clothed in a time like this! I still have a job that I love, practicing a skill that is fulfilling. And apparently I can still be motivated by Minuet No. 2! Across the room, I see the Bach Cello Suites sitting on a music stand left idle for days. I walk over and start playing the Gigue movement from the first Suite in G Major. The house is filled with familiar sounds, and I can feel the vibrations through the hardwood floors.

I move on from Bach to Memory by Chen Yi, a brilliant modern piece dedicated to the composer’s late violin teacher. In my head, I begin to perform in honor of the brave healthcare workers who have lost their lives saving others. I am ashamed by all those days of self-pity and pessimism. The piece finishes and I return to my chair, because let’s face it I’m not in shape. I think about how annoyed I used to feel seeing other musicians share their self-indulgent practice routines and virtual performances. For the first time, I envision the newly-widowed grandmother sitting by herself at home. She has just lost her husband and is isolated from anyone who could provide a sense of comfort. She goes online and finds a musician playing something that speaks directly to her. For a few minutes, she is lost in the moment and there is peace. 

So here I sit, ensconced in my apartment, sharing the inspiration that has finally struck.