I remember one day in Advanced Musicianship I (MUSC1010) when I was dealing with a personal issue and feeling like the floor was being swept away from underneath my feet. I spent the entire class trying not to burst in tears. When my turn came to do an exercise we were supposed to have had prepared, I just blankly stared at Arlene and mumbled something incomprehensible. She looked at me lovingly, understood immediately, and moved on to the next person. When I spoke to her after class, she treated me not like a student, but like a daughter, with the understanding and compassion of an adoring mother.
Her way of teaching was unparalleled. Atonal music suddenly made sense! She didn’t simply teach us music, she taught us how to breathe music, and she embraced us all as if we were her family. Whenever I happened to be in Orwig, I would often pass by her office just to say hello. Her smile lit up the dull corridors and the gloomy winter days, her energy radiant and resplendent.
Thank you for everything Arlene. You will always be in our minds and hearts. I was deeply saddened by the news, but I know that heaven has received a true angel, filling the skies with melodies of the heart.
With love and eternal gratitude and admiration,
Marky Pertsemlidi
MUSC550 & part of MUSC1010
Brown ‘20 (originally ‘18)
