Music and Athletics

violadad
Mon, 21 Jan 2008 21:29:37 +0000

symphonymom wrote: <actually, a=“” lot=“” of=“” musicians=“” attend=“” four-year=“” colleges…leonard=“” bernstein=“” and=“” yo=“” ma=“” went=“” to=“” harvard.=“” studied=“” composing=“” there.=“” john=“” williams=“” ucla.=“” there=“” are=“” countless=“” others.=“”></actually,>

We are friends with a musician with dual science degrees from an Ivy, in the same discipline as her parents. Secured work in her field, published a few papers. She hated it. She was an accomplished performer (competition wins, orchestral appearances) and wanted to pursue performance as an undergrad, yet was forced to the sciences by her parents.

She bagged the science, went back to a top grad school, placed in a couple of national competitions, got a GPD fellowship, an additional prestigious fellowship beyond that and is making a professional career. She’s happy as a clam now.

Could she have been in the same place earlier? She herself cannot say.

Life is a series of choices. The road has many forks. And many go to their graves still mumbling “If only…”