Ode to Interlochen

Hello everyone!

There is a place, a very special place, somewhere in the tundra of Michigan where squirrels share your dorm room and where everyone is sleep deprived and frozen year-round. This place is called the Interlochen Arts Academy.  It is a place of the beloved Fighting Blueberries (our mascot) where two truly insane, yet incredible years of my life were spent.  I met so many incredible people and made wonderful friends there and I learned so much from so many amazing teachers and mentors who truly cared so much...

The reunion for Interlochen Arts Academy's 50th Anniversary is happening right now, and I just wanted to give a little shout out to a place that holds an incredibly special place in my heart. I have so many fond memories like seeing for the first time the word 'masturbation' on a test while taking Mrs. Gaede's Russian Literature, Mr. Dean shooting off a real canon during our Civil War class, spending hours and hours writing my senior thesis under the guidance of Mrs. Driscoll, blowing things up and talking about dance with Ms. Wibby the Chemistry teacher, Mr. Nadji's hat from Nepal, Mrs. K and our endless email correspondences about calculus problems,,  Not to mention Mr. G who helped me fill in some of the crater of holes I had in my violin playing, as well as Mr. Holland who was always there for me with a warm smile and a pat on the back, as well as a gruff 'how are you doing', 'are you eating crap?' (well... yes?), Dr. Boyle whose teaching seriously got me through all of college theory, and Mr. Hazelwood who introduced me to more orchestral repertoire than I had ever heard before in my life...

I am oh so tempted to start on the amazing memories I have had with the roomies, the stand partners, the friends, the chamber groups, study partners, the first significant other, etc, etc, etc, but I will spare all of you from reading a huge book.  =)

Instead, I leave you with these pictures.

was being completely serious about the squirrels in dorm rooms..

studying for that 'masturbation' test mentioned above...

Beloved. first roomy. ever.

this. this was our back yard. how could we not be inspired?

We are nothing if not diverse!

This happiness at seeing the first snow does not last.  trust me

truly a wonderful place.

AND this. The Ode to Interlochen  =)

"Oh, sound the call to dear old Interlochen!

Land of the stately pine.
Where stalwart hands and loyal ever greet you,
Faithful for Auld Lang Syne.
Old friends you'll meet,
New ones you'll greet,
A welcome you'll ever find
So sound the call to dear old Interlochen!
Shrine of the muse divine."

Thanks everyone for all of the amazing memories!
--Janny