I always thought I was a city girl, and I thrived… But maybe what I am is a town girl. I like sidewalks (even on days like today, when shoveling is a repeat opportunity!).

What’s great about the village is that things that happen here are more accessible. People  might complain that we don’t have the wide variety of activities, but mostly, those people aren’t reading the local paper. With so many colleges in the area and their subsidized offerings, a fabulous ensemble theatre, a great chorale, a local orchestra (or two or three!), musicians of every stripe, poets, dancers, you name it, there are many options for entertainment.

And when outside groups are here, especially for longer periods, like the Quartet’s two-week residency, you get to hanging out and talk and laugh with them. It’s grand. So make sure you’re exploring your village and plumbing its depths.

And then the quartet. What an interesting entity. This quartet in particular, is fabulous. Find them on YouTube and exalt. Lucy Russell, first violinist, says in one of her bios: “She is committed to enlivened music-making, fueled by knowledge, skill and passion but with the intentions of the composer always at the fore.” This quartet offers this in spade.

But the notion of a quartet. Of four highly trained people making music together, music that is precise in nature, as both the timing and notes must be exact or god-awful. The musicians must be both on top of their playing and the music as well as aware and present to their fellow players. Each person brings their gifts and adds it to the whole along with caring for the way each individual piece comes out and how music as a whole is understood.

We would all do well to find the people we work with in such a fashion so that life could be richer, deeper, and give so much more pleasure. So, if you’re local to my local, go see this quartet on Thursday at 7:30 at Rook Recital Hall. If you’re local somewhere else, find out what’s going on. But one way or the other, even if it’s not your “thing,” go listen to and watch a quartet play. And go take advantage of what your vida local has to offer.

I think the way quartets work have a lot to teach the Peacemakers…