I gave these remarks first at the Interlochen all-alumni reunion in May, 2012, and again at my 40th reunion in October, 2022.
Reflections on Youth, Friendship, and the Arts
We have come here to remember friends who were artists with us at a very special time in our lives, brought together by a very special place. I have often thought of Interlochen as “a chalice for youth,” in the words of E.M. Forster. At my 25th reunion in 2007, my classmate Bea Raynor Furman wrote a song based on a conversation a large group of us had over breakfast at Stone, talking about Interlochen as the place “where the black sheep go.” The black sheep is always the one who lacks the understanding of the flock. What better place, then, to be accepted and understood just as one is than in a flock of black sheep? At Interlochen we not only found instruction (and, one hopes, patience), but also understanding of our individual needs and ambitions for artistic expression. This is Babette’s cry, “Give me leave to do my utmost!”
In the teenage years, one’s emotions are more highly keyed than at any other time in one’s life. Friendships, romances, and collaborations are felt more intensely, more immediately. Many, if not all of us, remember particular people whose mere presence altered the kind of experience we had here. People stand out for any number of qualities: talent, compassion, wisdom, beauty, and at Interlochen a love of fun, the arts, and mischief. The term “practice hut” brings up any number of memories of the friends of our youth.
And also the term “excellence.” As growing and learning artists, we were challenged to give each other our best in every concert, every performance, every rehearsal and collaboration. The joy of successfully completing a concert, performance, or gallery opening with friends is celebrated as much today as it was when we were in the spotlights ourselves. Earlier this weekend, as at previous reunions, I have been struck by the thought that every ensemble has its history as a group: its leader, its characters, its own memories and jokes and shared experiences.
It is an emotional experience to return to the scenes of our youth, especially for those of us who have come back to Interlochen for the first time in decades. There is so much to remember, and there are so many to remember. My own sense of memory and the loss of friends has been keener because it is now more than half my life since I graduated. So it is worth restating the words of Kahlil Gibran, “When you part from your friend, you grieve not; For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.”
