Good morning. It's Wednesday, June 3, and there's so much tension in the air, we wanted to stir in some beauty.
Here to play Bach on clarinet is Jennifer Nelson, whose playing you've probably heard before, if you go to musicals at the 5th Avenue or the Paramount, or if you saw the national tour of Phantom of the Opera.
She's also a lifetime activist and protester. "Black lives do matter. Absolutely. We have to change this system," she says. "We have to."
Jennifer plays principal clarinet with Pacific Northwest Ballet and Auburn Symphony Orchestras. She also records for various television, motion picture, and video game scores. She is the clarinet teacher at the University of Puget Sound.
In answer to the question on your mind: She has three dogs.
Thank you for playing for us, Jennifer.
And thank you especially for your message.
White people need to start talking about this as a white-people issue, because it is, and that involves speaking openly like you are.
Good luck facing whatever today brings, everyone.
* *
Previously in this series: