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A second chance to play The Second Street Orchestra in Ashland proves it's never too late to take up an instrument By JOHN DARLING ASHLAND - You've raised your kids, been successful in your work and had a good life. But along the way, you've had to make some sacrifices. Maybe expressing yourself artistically was one of them. Maybe you wanted to play the violin in a chamber orchestra, but you told yourself it was just a wild dream, so forget it. Turns out, it's not that wild. More than a dozen over-55 women and men who've never touched a violin - or haven't taken lessons since childhood - are making their dream come true every week in the Second Street Orchestra. Under the tutelage of former public school teacher Patricia Potter, the aspiring string musicians meet every Tuesday night to practice. Not "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star," but Mozart, Bach, Vivaldi, Handel and some folk classics, all with the goal of actually performing in public - and doing it well. Second Street Orchestra is word play for "second chance," Potter said. "They're getting a second shot at getting in touch with a part of them that's laid dormant for 30 or 40 years," she said. "It's my personal belief that in our late teens, we're all in touch with the big, important questions of life, but these get lost in what I call the great age of distraction, which goes from about age 20 to 50 and includes marriage, kids, cooking, chauffeuring the kids, helping with homework, paying bills and having a midlife crisis." When that's all out of the way, Potter said, many remember they had once promised themselves that someday they'd play an instrument - not out of any sense of obligation, but out of pure joy. And now is the time to do it. That's the kind of people who come to Second Street Orchestra and devote themselves to the group's objectives: correct posture, accurate intonation, clear tone production, technical development, creative interpretation, involvement, comfort and enjoyment - all for $36 a month (the first time is free). And they love taking lessons as a group rather than individually. "I played as a child and when I heard of this group, I said, that's what I need," said violinist Mary Woodard. "It's so satisfying to something in my inner core, and there's no stress about being a beginner, because we're all learning to do this." "If you used to play - or didn't - and want to, this class is for you," said Betty McGehee, a former violinist for the Pasadena Symphony. "It's been 40 years and I asked myself, do I dare? But it's all coming back. It's stimulating and good for the mind." "It takes me back to high school," said Ann Stein. "I stopped 30 years ago, but I thought, why not? I'm enjoying it immensely and it's not baby music. We're doing Handel's Water Music, Mozart's Sonatina in C major and Grieg's Sarabande." Barbara Jackson joined the group because she'd promised herself that when she got old, she'd "hang out by a campfire and fiddle." The bonding and sense of community are "really special," said violinist Margaret Bartley. The group coalesced enough after the first six months to present concerts - for friends and family. "The first concert, I think they just tolerated," said cellist Phil Thurston. "The second one, they actually enjoyed." The group hasn't set a date for a public performance just yet. Potter is a former player with the Rogue Valley Symphony, director of Britt Music Festivals' Children's Orchestra and teacher of music in public schools for 12 years. She teaches about two dozen children in private lessons. She started her "second chance orchestra" two years ago with a community education class at Southern Oregon University. After the class, students begged to continue the program. Potter's theory is that everyone has the ability to learn an instrument, regardless of age or experience. What the players offer their audiences may not be perfect, but they have their intonation and rhythm in place, and their enthusiasm connects with listeners, she said. "It's their love of music coming through, and it's contagious," she said. "We all can relate to that because we all have that inside us." The members have few long-range motives, playing mostly for themselves - for the challenge of mastering something new in later life. "Yes, it would have been ideal to have started very young and to be very good," said Roxanne Jones, "but you have to start somewhere, and at this age, I'm more patient and have more time. I'm doing it for the pure joy of it and every little advance is so nurturing." New members are welcome, especially men and those willing to play larger string instruments. Call Potter at 488-6482. John Darling is a free-lance writer living in Ashland. Ideas for Prime Time stories are welcome at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.