as a family.”
During concert season, which runs September through April, Dr. May rehearses with her orchestra colleagues one night each week. During the week of a symphony performance, they meet every weeknight and rehearse for three hours.
“My favorite music to perform is Bach and the fast passages,” Dr. May says.
During the pandemic, the Black Hills Symphony Orchestra assumed a virtual concert format, with shows streamed on Facebook Live.
“It was a very different experience to not perform in front of a live audience,” says Dr. May, one of eight musicians in the symphony who plays the viola. “We performed four concerts virtually, and it was a much quieter experience. I missed the energy of playing in front of an audience.”
‘Playing in the orchestra involves a totally different way of thinking than my job as a rheumatologist.’ —Jennifer May, MD
In 2021, the symphony returned to a live, in-person format with its first concert on Oct. 23. The symphony also held a sing-along Messiah concert in December and a New Year’s Eve show.
“Playing in the orchestra involves a totally different way of thinking than my job as a rheumatologist,” Dr. May says. “It’s also a good way to de-stress, because when I’m playing the viola, it’s impossible to think of anything else.”
Linda Childers is a health writer located in the San Francisco Bay Area.
