By Guest Bloggers Rose Freeman and Anastasia Allison, The Musical Mountaineers
“There’s the moon!” I heard Anastasia exclaim. I felt the chill of the early dawn as we hiked up the next switchback on a steep trail in the North Cascades. My heart pounded in my chest with the heavy weight of my awkwardly-shaped backpack. It was 3:42AM on September 1st, 2017 and I didn’t sense it yet, but my life was about to change.
Once upon a time, there were two women minding their own business. Anastasia, a classically-trained violinist and avid mountain climber, worked as a railroad police officer. She felt deeply unfulfilled in her career and had a dream of pursuing an adventure-inspired life. Rose, a classically trained pianist and Nationally Certified Teacher of Music, desired to step out of her comfort zone and learn to climb the glaciated peaks she’d seen her whole life.
In June 2017, we met in person to talk about climbing Mount Baker. Our conversation transitioned to our similar backgrounds in classical music and our performances of concertos with orchestras. We were both secretly delighted to discover that we each had a dream of bringing our music into the backcountry. Anastasia had a vision of performing her violin on a mountain summit, while Rose had been sketching pianos in the wilderness for most of her life. Together, we decided that we would figure out a way to make this happen. Rose purchased a 76-key keyboard that she fit into her climbing backpack and, at the last minute, we both decided to bring gowns. Thus began the Musical Mountaineers.
Each Musical Mountaineers concert brings its own unique challenges and joys. During our first concert, we were swarmed by thousands of mosquitoes. When we climbed Hidden Lake Peak last year, Rose accidentally packed her husband’s hiking boots instead of her own, and didn’t realize it until 3:45AM when we were about to leave the trailhead. On our trip to the Lost Coast, Anastasia unknowingly carried a live mouse in her backpack (under her violin case) for 12 miles. The mouse was happy to be set free when we made it back to the car. On a few occasions, our music stand has blown over and Anastasia’s bow has flown off the strings of her violin due to high speed wind gusts. Our shortest concert to date was only 56 seconds long because the temperature was below zero with the windchill. One thing that remains consistent is that the people we have met during this journey are what make each adventure so special. The laughter we have shared on the side of the trail, or the emotional moments of connection that we’ve shared with new friends are memories that we hold closely in our hearts every single day.
There is something about the simple music we play in the mountains that speaks to each person who hears us in a unique way. We all connect with music and we all have felt the miracle of a new day. When we venture out into the backcountry to create music, we do so in a place that simply reflects back the beauty that lives in each one of us. When people listen to our music, we hope that it reminds them of the truth of who they are, too. That beauty that exists in the mountains and glaciers and trees – that beauty is the exact same beauty that lives in each of us. Whether our listeners can articulate that or not, I hope that they sense that knowing in our music.
The Musical Mountaineers has grown into something more special than we could have ever dreamed. We have had the opportunity to perform unannounced sunrise serenades in over 40 different locations. We have performed with artists such as Nikki Frumkin (@drawntohighplaces) and Claire Giordano (@claireswanderings). We have traveled to The Lost Coast with Backpacker Magazine and Merrell Shoes. We’ve been featured on King 5 “Evening Magazine” and “Take 5,” Komo 4 “Eric’s Heroes,” the She Explores Podcast, the BBC News, and recently in Seattle Magazine. And, of course, we have had the unbelievable opportunity to give back to our beloved National Parks by performing with Washington’s National Park Fund. We are also thrilled about the children’s book that we are currently writing and illustrating. The future is exciting for us and we are eagerly waiting for all of the good things that are coming!
While we are called The Musical Mountaineers, we are still simply Rose and Anastasia – two women who decided to listen to the calling in our hearts. Life is like that a lot of times – we get ideas and inspiration that feels exciting, and then we talk ourselves out of it by being ‘responsible.’ Every single person on this planet has a unique gift that they were meant to bring into the world. Every single person on this planet is an important part of the growth and expansion of everything. We hope that our story can inspire others to follow their heart and blaze their own trail. Every day, every sunrise, is a new chance to bring more light into the world. We hope our music inspires you to shine brightly.
Come see The Musical Mountaineers at Benaroya Hall on Wednesday, October 23rd, as part of National Parks at Benaroya.