“Love and music go hand in hand. If there is love there is music, and there is no music without love. Let your life be filled with love and music!” — Armenian toast.

Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the Spitak Earthquake (1988). The northern city of the country of Armenia, Gyumri, was completely destroyed by a massive earthquake, killing over 25,000 people in 4 minutes. The city has never been rebuilt, but less than 7 years after the quake I found myself living there as a Peace Corps volunteer. I spent two years working in a state orphanage for handicapped babies. I consider Gyumri to by my adopted city, a ghost that never leaves me, no matter how far I am from it. As they say in Heyerin (the Armenian language) “kenats, em enker-jan, kenats,” to your life, my dear friend, to your life.