The Klezmer event was really memorable. Cookie, the leader, was really kind and supportive; I’m a violist, which isn’t exactly a traditional Klezmer instrument — but she showed me some of the most extreme basics of the style, and the entire group welcomed me into their rehearsal!

At first I listened in from the outside, but I had a giant clunky viola case with me which was sort of hard for them to miss. So I was invited to sit in and play, which was really, really nice, considering I have never played the genre before and my exposure with it is relatively minimal. There are fun tips and tricks they let me know; if you hear the beat getting rhythmic, grinding your bow against your string (causing a dark, gritty noise) adds to the beat and keeps time!

So even if I wasn’t playing something particularly interesting or loud, they made sure I always had something I enjoyed playing. That’s key, I think — that night, I went onstage with them at Anabel Taylor hall, and had so much fun performing with such an excellent group of players. Their experience was immediately visible, and I think from the videos I’ve seen, my inexperience with the genre was similarly visible, but I because of their instruction, I looked like I definitely belonged! That’s all I could ask for, and I’m eternally grateful to the ensemble for the opportunity.