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In December 1985, The New York Times published an article with a provocative title: “Why Today’s Orchestras Are Adrift.”

What is striking is not simply what the article said. It is how familiar it sounds more than 40 years later.

As a young child, Lydia Parkington attended a Boston Ballet Nutcracker performance and was smitten with the sound of the cello. “It changed me!” she says. “I just loved the timbre, the range, and the melancholy.” She studied at Cape Symphony Conservatory and Nauset High School, earned music degrees from UMass Amherst and Syracuse University, and has created a joyful career in cello performance and teaching.

Creativity has always been an essential part of Jeanine Cappuccino’s life. A visual artist, world traveler, and lifelong learner with a degree in Art Education, she loves to share the joy of making art.

We often speak about leadership as though it were a matter of choosing a destination and then finding the most efficient route to reach it. We develop strategic plans, establish benchmarks, and measure our progress. All of that work is necessary. But it can also create the impression that, somewhere ahead of us, there is a finished version of the organization waiting to be discovered.

I do not believe there is a final model for Cape Symphony.

Cape Symphony Principal Trombone Robert Hoveland was introduced to his instrument in his Texas elementary school. “Our band director hosted an ‘instrument petting zoo’ for kids to check out instruments and see what fit,” he remembers. “You submitted your top choices… mine were trumpet, because my best friend played, and saxophone, because Bill Clinton made it look cool. But the band director said ‘you seem pretty tall, here’s your trombone!’”

“As a piano teacher, I don’t set a goal of perfection,” says Mirela Chisbora. “I am more a guide on a musical journey. I offer a map and a compass, and help my students set and achieve their goals. The journey is different for each individual.” With considerable expertise and experience, Mirela is a wise and supportive guide.