8/4/19: Today, is my anniversary with Beloved. We are together 21 years, we became domestic partners 20 years ago, and we were married in Connecticut 10 years ago. (The date thing may seem romantic, and it is, but it’s also partly that we can’t retain more than one date. Knowing one’s limitations is the key to happiness.) Happy anniversary to us!

For our drive to Connecticut, I made my very last mixed “tape” (CD).  We also played it during our very brief private ceremony. I loved all the music on that playlist, but my hands-down favorite, the song I think of as our wedding song, is Queen’s Somebody to Love as interpreted by Vitamin String Quartet.

VSQ are flawless performers, sure, but I think their real superpower is their ability to arrange even the hardest, most incongruous of rock songs into what sounds like legitimate classical music. Their recordings entertain me to no end, and I’m constantly amazed by how they continue to show me new ways to listen to popular music.

You can follow the magnificent Vitamin String Quartet on their website and on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook.