General Discussion

Last edited Sun Feb 22, 2026, 12:09 AM - Edit history (6)

after my seventh and eighth grade years, for piano--- as part of the "All-State" two-week program which was limited to Michigan residents only. My parents couldn't afford to pay for the regular 8-week program, and I won a 50% scholarship for my first trip there. My first time there, I fell hopelessly in love with a girl who eclipsed my talent on the piano, which was a humbling experience for me--- she could play Chopin's "Fantasie-Impromptu" at 13 years old, better than I ever did at 17--- MUCH later, I finally saw her again--- performing on public television, and she had become an MSU music professor by that time!

(Her given name was Kathryn, and her last name was the same as mine--
but no relation that I was ever able to discover, unless it might have been in 1607 or 1620 or earlier---
but the nickname she went by was 'Shotzie' of all things! Regardless, I have never forgotten her--
even recently showed pictures of her to my next-door neighbor---
taken by Interlochen photographers, which my parents purchased, since I was in them....)


My parents had a somewhat personal connection to the camp, although they were mostly not musicians, my father could play two tunes on the piano--- in my early childhood, they rented a cottage on Green Lake several times in the summer--- Interlochen is situated between Green Lake and Duck Lake--- and in the evenings, they would sit outside and listen to the concerts coming from the music camp-- the concerts were every night, as I learned when I was a student there. Before attending the camp, we made the trip there to see the internationally-famous pianist Van Cliburn, I had one of his record albums, and got his autograph! (and the Chopin Fantasie-Impromptu was part of that album, so I was quite familiar with it!)

Oddly enough, while I was an All-State student, at the end of one of these nightly concerts (for which attendance seemed mandatory for All-State students), I spotted my Jr. High teacher for math and social studies trying to make his way out, and excitedly accosted him! (Quite a 'Small world' coincidence!)

((Interlochen is situated some miles southeast of Traverse City Michigan---
so it is some 200+ miles away from our home in Lansing---
back then at 55 mph, it was a four or five hour car trip---
so actually seeing someone from home there is somewhat remarkable...))



Back somewhere around the early 1940's, the melody from the middle section of this composition was appropriated for what became a somewhat popular song, "I'm always chasing rainbows" (my mother knew all the words, having come of age during the 1940's--- and while not a musician, I always thought she had a rather beautiful singing voice.... Late in her life, when she was speaking much less due to Alzheimer's disease, I made a CD just for her with popular 1940's songs, and while playing it for her, she broke out into song--- I think it was a Judy Garland tune---

and she had a love for classical music due to the influence of one of her school-teachers--- because of that she was the driving force behind my piano lessons starting at age nine--- but I had already indicated some inclination for it some years earlier, picking out the notes of the wedding theme 'Here comes the bride' on the very aged pump-organ in our basement, after serving as the ring bearer at age four for my aunt's wedding!)

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As for the 'Epstein connection' to the camp, I prefer not to think about that....



but thanks for posting it anyway, since it prompted posting my personal memories
of the Interlochen music camp, and my mom and dad....



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