A Renaissance Doorman

In the summer of 2021, the New Yorker magazine co-produced a beautiful short documentary film that tells the story of Yves Deshommes, a Haitian immigrant and Bach-loving violinist doorman who rises early to practice before his shift, graciously oversees the constant comings and goings of the residents of his building, and somehow manages to squeeze in additional snippets of practice time between greetings (in four languages) at his station.

But this description is only a thumbnail view of a man who wears many hats. In addition to his day job and his passion for music, Deshommes is also a dedicated father, an art curator and dealer, and a tireless supporter of the well-being and education of Haiti’s residents—especially Haiti’s children. 

The documentary, Yves and Variation, directed by Lydia Corbett, offers an inspiring introduction to this remarkable man:

Viewing the New Yorker film instantly revived nostalgic, long-dormant memories of my humble, fourth-grade, public-school violin teacher Victor Sands, whose life was guided by many of the same values of empathy, fairness, and kindness that Yves Deshommes incorporates into his own daily interactions with others. 

Growing up in a small eastern Washington town with limited cultural resources, I was fortunate that “Mr. Sands” recognized my musical gifts early on and awakened in me a lifelong appreciation of classical music. It was also Mr. Sands who introduced me to the works of J.S. Bach and included me as a performer in a student violin quartet that he later created. And through the constant networking he initiated to proudly showcase the accomplishments of his students, Mr. Sands generated a wide spectrum of performance opportunities for us that helped develop our confidence, musicianship, and public presentation skills. My young violinist friends and I especially looked forward to performing short pieces for what we excitedly saw as a Big Time, grown-up, “serious” music venue: the after-dinner social gatherings at the local Tri-Cities Elks Lodge.

Before Mr. Sands passed away in 2017, our quartet reunited with him as adults, to host a surprise party for him at his home. We secretly arranged for a reporter from the local Tri-City Herald newspaper to show up unannounced at his front door, camera and notebook in hand, to document our reunion festivities for her column. Our four quartet members plied a beaming Mr. Sands with a serenade of lively Baroque-era dance “hits” that he had transcribed for us as children. They included several gigues and an elegant bourrée. To properly honor our beloved musical mentor, we chauffeured him to a fancy restaurant where a celebratory “thank you” cake with candles was already waiting. Mr. Sands normally lived an extremely frugal life, and as he surveyed his former students’ supportive faces and the cut pieces of cake before him on a serving plate, his fork hesitated for just a moment over the offerings. But with our enthusiastic encouragement, he finally chose the largest piece for himself—likely for the first time in his generous-hearted life.

This post is inspired by the wisdom and kindness that Victor Sands gave to others during his lifetime, and by Yves Deshommes’ continuing generosity and community-minded work. In addition to my writing, I also provide financial support to local organizations that offer cultural education for children and help conserve the natural beauty that surrounds us.

I still revere the music of J.S. Bach, and have continued to play the violin as an adult.

The non-profit Tieton Arts & Humanities enriches & celebrates the Tieton, WA community through artistic & cultural programming. Their website contains information on their programs and events, including Día de los Muertos, poetry readings, and children’s art education, among many others.

The Cowiche Canyon Conservancy is a Yakima, WA non-profit land trust that connects people to nature through recreation and education. The conservancy manages, owns, and protects over 7,000 acres of the local shrub-steppe habitat—a unique landscape made up of sagebrush and grasslands, flowering meadows, oak woodlands, and basalt cliffs.