Violinist Hilary Hahn at Chenery Middle School in 2004
I looked on Hilary Hahn's web site to see if the student essays from her 2004 visit to Chenery Middle School in Belmont, Mass, (a visit arranged by the Celebrity Series' Arts, Education and Community Program, thank you) were still there, and lo and behold, they are! And they are as charming, and as ridiculously mature as I remembered. Here's a bit from Juliette, age 12 (she must be 14 now):
"I find that music - any music - is the key to something, be it a memory, relaxation, or a state of mind. Different music opens the door to a different emotion or time, just as a smell does: maple sugar will always remind me of my birthday, and wood smoke will always make me think of winter. Not only do smells trigger memories, but sound makes you recall certain times, as well. Whether the sound is music or the sound of raindrops on a window pane, it triggers memories as well as, if not better than, a smell. Music does this best for me. My grandfather died three years ago, and there is one song by Mark Erelli that always makes me think of him, and sometimes makes me cry, whenever I hear it."
Hilary Hahn returns to Jordan Hall January 12.
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