Lost & found string instruments in Joplin

Lost violins in downtown Joplin, Missouri.

I was packing up after rehearsal at the Joplin High School auditorium around 7:15 p.m. on Tuesday when I realized my two violins were missing. I retraced from the steps by Cunningham Park to the Joplin Public Library, asking anyone I met if they'd seen a brown hard case with two bows sticking out. One violin belonged to my grandmother; the other is my student instrument that still has my practice marks in the label. I’m hopeful someone nearby who remembers the concert on 6th Street and Main might recall seeing them in the hallway outside the community theatre. I’m holding onto hope they’re safe.