Tom is a violinist and Virginia is a cellist. Their home is going through some things. Courtesy of Tom and Virginia Dziekonski
Good morning. It's Tuesday, July 7, and today's message comes from two musicians with the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra.
Tom Dziekonski is a violinist for the PNB orchestra and a former Seattle Youth Symphony concertmaster. Virginia Dziekonski is assistant principal cellist of the PNB orchestra and has also performed with Seattle Symphony and the Seattle Opera.
They met at the Seattle Youth Symphony, and got married in 1982.
As you will see, they're in the middle of renovating a house. They bought it in 1989. "It was, well, a wreck," Tom tells The Stranger , "so it was a terrific bargain." Watch them give us a tour of their project-in-progress, while performing:
VIDEO
Tom arranged the music they play—"With a Little Bit Of Luck" from My Fair Lady .
"It was always a special song for me," he says. "My dad would whistle it all the time, and then, lo, a My Fair Lady medley was the first time I played Broadway show tunes, in the Junior Symphony (of the Seattle Youth Symphony organization), in about 1967. My parents were refugees from Communist Poland in 1950, after being indentured servants under the Nazi occupation. My dad said, 'The Nazis were bad, but the Soviets were worse.'"
Last month, Tom and Virgina took part in the Juneteenth Solidarity Sing for Black Lives , which involved people of all backgrounds learning and performing "Life Every Voice and Sing."
If you're wondering if that is a Pacific Drug sign/laundry umbrella in their backyard—yes, yes it is. Also don't miss the flamingo fence.
Thank you, Tom and Virginia, for the performance this morning, and for your cheerful spirit, and for that serious backyard inspiration.
Good luck with the house.
Previously in this series: Pol Rosenthal's message to the city on July 6.
Betsey Brock's message to the city on July 2.
Shaina Shepherd's message to the city on July 1.
Rodger Burnett and Joyce Ramee's message to the city on June 30.
Charles Leggett's message to the city June 29.
Rachel Guyer-Mafune's message to the city on June 26.
Liz Hayes's message to the city on June 24.
Nicholas Bernard's message to the city on June 22.
Tariqa Waters's message to the city on June 19.
Bruce Clayton Tom's message to the city on June 18.
Isaac Gutierrez's message to the city on June 17.
Markeith Wiley's message to the city on June 16.
Aleksa Manila's message to the city on June 15.
Derrick Ryan Claude Mitchell's message to the city on June 12.
Bret Fetzer's message to the city on June 11.
Kyle O'Quin's message to the city on June 10.
Elisheba Johnson's message to the city on June 9.
Michael Jinsoo Lim's message to the city on June 8.
Brandon Ivie's message to the city on June 5.
Kimya Dawson's message to the city on June 4.
Jennifer Nelson's message to the city on June 3.
Erin Jorgensen's message to the city on June 2.
Brangien Davis and Daniel Spils's message to the city on June 1.
Timothy De Clue's message to the city on May 29.
Elizabeth Aquino's message to the city on May 28.
Christopher Frizzelle's message to the city on May 27.
Elby Brosch's message to the city on May 26.
Mila Skyy's message to the city on May 22.
Michael Lee's message to the city on May 21.
SassyBlack's message to the city on May 20.
Seattle Symphony horn section's message to the city on May 19.
Lori Goldston's message to the city on May 18.
Ibidunni Ojikutu's message to the city on May 15.
RL Heyer's message to the city on May 14.
Garth Stein's message to the city on May 13.
Okanomodé's message to the city on May 12.
Zoe Scofield's message to the city on May 11.
Aham Oluo's message to the city on May 8.
Pete Rush's message to the city on May 7.
Trent Moorman's message to the city on May 6.
Renée Valencia's message to the city on May 5.
Justin Huertas's message to the city on May 4.
Charles Mudede's message to the city on May 1.
Kathryn Rathke's message to the city on April 30.
Anthony White's message to the city on April 30.
Miss Texas 1988's message to the city.
Matt Bishop's message on April 27.
Cherdonna's message to the city on April 26.
Shenandoah Davis's message to the city on April 25.
Lorena González's message to the city on April 24.
Clyde Petersen's message to the city on April 23.
David Ritt's message to the city on April 22.
Sara Porkalob's message to the city on April 21.
Julia Sweeney's message to the city on April 20.
Linda Derschang's message to the city on April 19.
Molly Sides's message to the city on April 18.
Nick Garrison's message to the city on April 17.
Tomo Nakayama's message to the city on April 16.
Rebecca M. Davis's message to the city April 15.
Heather McHugh's message to the city on April 14.
Brandon O'Neill's message to the city on April 13.
Kate Wallich's message to the city on April 12.
Rebecca Brown's message to the city on April 11.
Lucien Postlewaite's message to the city on April 10.
Betty Wetter's message to the city on April 9.
Amanda Morgan's message to the city on April 8.
Nancy Guppy's message to the city on April 7.
Jonathan Biss's message to the city on April 6.
Chris Jeffries's message to the city on April 5.
Lesley Hazleton's message to the city on April 4.
John Roderick's message to the city on April 3.
Bill Carty's message to the city on April 2.
Price Suddarth's message to the city on April 1.
Kary Wayson's message to the city on March 31.
Ellen Forney's message to the city on March 30.
Major Scales's message to the city on March 29.
E. J. Koh's message to the city on March 28.
Ken Jennings's message to the city on March 27.
Demarre McGill's message to the city on March 26.
Lynn Shelton's Message to the City on March 25th.
Timothy White Eagle's message to the city on March 24.
Cookie Couture's message to the city on March 23.
Sarah Rudinoff's message to the city on March 22.
John Osebold's message to the city on March 21.
Ben Gibbard's message to the city on March 20.
Nathan Chan's message to the city on March 19.
