Yesterday I sat in on Matt Bengston and Aaron Berofsky’s open rehearsal in the common room of Becker House. The atmosphere was very casual, since the room was full of people minding their own business and studying, and that casual ambiance made the incredible skill of the musicians stand out even more. There was a third musician present, and together they played piano, violin, and cello. I’ve been in many musical ensembles before, from church youth choirs to Cornell’s own Chorale, but I opted out of participating in music this semester. Sitting in on this open rehearsal brought back some musical nostalgia from me, from hearing jargon like “repeat from the double bar till the coda” to discussions about tempo, tone, and mood. Even the brief tuning at the very beginning of the rehearsal made me happy, mostly because one of the string instruments was super flat on one string. The flexibility in their collaboration was really exciting to hear, as they wove through passages together and made the music come together in a really fluid and friendly kind of atmosphere. I really appreciated hearing the camaraderie between them; music brings people together in such a unique way and I loved watching that unfold for an hour on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.