Growing up in a small town in central New York state, I knew I wanted a different kind of life experience when deciding on where to apply for university admission. My parents, who as teenagers left Germany with their respective families in 1938 to escape the horrors of the Nazi regime, took me on vacations to parts of Ontario and Montreal. We did our basic research on possible college options in New York, Vermont, and Quebec. I applied to four such programs, and was very proud to have received my acceptance to McGill, referring to it as “the Harvard of Canada” to my friends who’d never heard of it.
Although my parents were not musicians themselves, they loved classical music, and therefore had me take piano lessons at an early age, later picking up the clarinet for marching and concert band as well. I therefore entered what is now the Schulich School of Music (then Faculty of Music) in 1972 as a Music History major, with a minor in Piano. It became clear early on that I had a lot of catching up to do in my major. I had very fine teachers in a small town, but somewhat lacked the worldly experiences of others and their sophisticated background in music theory. I likely also felt the pressure of having the last name of “Bach” at a music school!
Living in Montreal, including two years in residence at McConnell Hall, provided me with opportunities to meet people from a broad spectrum; from Canadian provinces I had not yet traveled to, and many international locations that seemed particularly exotic to me at the time. Although walking up and down University from McConnell Hall to Sherbrooke was a challenge at times during rain, snow and ice storms, I also looked forward to going in the opposite direction, walking up Mount Royal and seeing the breathtaking views in all seasons.
I’m now enjoying the lifestyle of a retiree after a varied career in the non-profit and higher education fields, primarily as a fundraiser, which also included time working for music organizations: the National Youth Orchestra of Canada, the Toronto Symphony, and the St. Louis Symphony. Over the past several years, I have been pleased to encounter fellow McGill alumni in a variety of settings, including in the town I have lived and worked in for the last 26 years that is home to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Through these experiences, I have an even better appreciation for the world-class education I received at McGill University, and the special joie de vivre I encountered in Montreal.