Burnt-out violinist: Don’t worry about me

We’ve had a message from David Wright, the former Minnesota Orchestra violinist who lost all his possessions last month in a car fire in Portland, Oregon. David would like to be left alone. Here’s what he writes:

I am David Wright, the retired violinist and the “info-taint-meat” of the Jan 20 story about my car fire.

My friends and I tried to make it clear to all inquiries from news outlets that I wanted no publicity descending on my careless, embarrassing mistake, neglecting to disconnect a resistor-controlled “auto-shutoff” electric blanket from the auxiliary battery for over a day. The internet being what it is, I’m glad there isn’t more gossip than exists about this.

Though I still fiddle a bit, I’ve no interest in more orchestral work: 30 years of the privilege performing in the back of an ensemble as fine as the Minnesota Orchestra left me tired of the relative mediocrity of my own sound.

I am now a writer, singer, and traveller, and continue to enjoy my life, very thankful to have escaped the fire just in time. I don’t need anyone’s help. I am not homeless. I prefer a mobile life and the personally customized little creation of my lovely home on wheels. We “tire tramps” are a growing population and are neither degenerates nor criminals.

I was preparing for an extended road-trip, so I’d pulled extra possessions out of storage. My storage garage nearly burned down last year due to drunken neighbors I didn’t know letting a kitchen fire rage out of control. Accidents will happen to you too. You may share this open letter as you see fit.