The final performance of the Interlochen Arts Camp season ends with a piece called "Les Préludes." In the score, composer Franz Liszt wrote, "What else is our life but a series of preludes?"
It's a meaningful reflection. And a fitting one as this weekend. The Interlochen Arts Academy Class of 2025 will conclude their time here with a ceremony called Commencement. To "commence" means to begin — a beautiful irony that our final ceremonies mark a beginning, not an end.
They are the preludes for the rest of our students’ lives.
I can’t help myself... I picture little birds spreading their wings, leaving the nest. Understand that nestling birds can be quite competitive, squabbling for food and attention. It's the same as passionate young artists pushing each other to grow. Still, the nest provides protection, guidance and comfort — much like Interlochen Arts Academy.
When young birds fledge, they enter a world of danger. Their wings are still developing, their landings are awkward and predators pose real threats.
Interestingly, fledglings often appear larger than their parents. They're plump —not from the "freshman fifteen" — but because their bodies store extra fat. A kind of nutritional insurance for the weeks during which they learn to feed themselves.
Without the shelter of the nest, fledglings face the elements... wind, rain, sun, cold. Vulnerable, yes, but also free to soar.
At Interlochen, and all over this region, young people are graduating, leaving the human nest of school, and commencing their own series of preludes.
Congratulations... and good luck!
