Submitted by John Rasinski – Saxophone
Before the pandemic came, I over committed myself. In addition to New Horizons, I had recently joined the Summit Metro Parks Ensemble, was preparing for an audition, and getting ready for my summer gig on the street in front of Canal Park. With rehearsal’s cancelled, the baseball season postponed, and some weeks of a work furlough, I found the time to start to get my feet back under me. All this was a good diversion from being stuck at home.
I don’t really have much of a musical serendipitous experience. Maybe it was learning to play the Woodwind Polka when initially I thought that was impossible until I dove into it. Maybe it was I got through most of the music I needed to (when I thought there was no way) and as a result pushed my playing up a bit.
But the true serendipity actually came from having time with my 18 year old daughter who moved in with me last year. The isolation from school and friends has been hard on her. I’ve made it a point to spend a couple hours a day with her. Generally, we go hit the baseball to each other, go for short drives, and talk. Without the pandemic, she’d be too busy for me and be out with friends. I told her we’d never have this time again, so I wanted to make the best of it. That’s the memory we both will capture from the pandemic, for me that part will be over too soon as it races into the past.