----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Evan Craves

Sent: Thu, February 4, 2010 10:33:55 PM
Subject: Thank You

I'd been looking through some of our old photos from the past decade and put a (very) small set of them together in the attached PDF. SO many great memories.... it's impossible to capture & recount them all.

Personally, looking back now, I find it hilarious to think of who I was in 2000 -- especially considering that, then, I had loathed hanging out in groups, had become disenfranchised with classical music, had not played violin for well over a year and had plans to sell off the instrument and be done with it all... were it not for one of those life-changing moments that seem to occur when you least expect them. My friend Damian dragged me to a Cotati Philharmonic meeting at city hall -- after all, there *was* free pasta being served, so why not, right? Damian had wanted to join the Philharmonic for quite some time back then (there had been a sign/banner off of 101 encouraging people to join this new orchestra) and he wouldn't take "No" for an answer. So we went, with violins in hand, and showed up expecting some kind of audition. Well, there was no audition, but there was pasta and there was a group of people in a glow about the concert that they had put on earlier in the summer. Everyone was talking about how they were all going to help improve the group & bring something new to the next concert set. As the evening went on, we grew exceedingly impressed by everyone's willingness to own their own piece of the orchestra. It was exciting! We went to a Cotati Phil Introduction shortly thereafter and when we read through the organization's charter and got to the mission statement: "To make the beauty of music and the power of community alive and available for everyone", we were sold. We signed up for the upcoming set and wound up being 2 (out of 6) first violins ... playing the Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique.

 

Oh, how have things changed!!