Dear bear friends:

Perry Bear here, writing to you from another airplane. Traveling with the Symphony means many airplane trips. I sit in Miss Cynthia's lap. We look out the windows at the land far below. Everything looks so tiny, even enormous mountains. Our Symphony friends sit all around us, and everyone is jolly, laughing and talking. It's a good way to travel. I like to use the computer to write to you from the airplane. It's fun!

Last night I met a very special viola! It belongs a very special viola player, my good friend, Mister Don. Mister Don is very nice to me, and we've been friends for a long time. When he asked if I'd like to see his new viola, I was happy!

I was happy and I was surprised! What was this? Mister Don's new viola looked as if a giant had stretched and squashed it into a new shape! Mister Don held me and I looked and looked. The new viola looks so different from the other violas in the Symphony.

Mister Don explained. This is a new kind of viola. It has been specially made to sound like any other viola but it's designed to be kinder to the viola player. Playing a viola can hurt muscles and joints, just ask Mister Don. His new viola? It makes the musician feel better.

"Perry, did you know that I was on television?" asked Mister Don. Yes, indeed, Mister Don and his new viola have appeared on CNN, the television news channel. He's been interviewed about this new viola by the New York Times a very, very famous newspaper. Once the New York Times takes notice of something new, so do other newspapers and Mister Don has been interviewed by several other newspapers.

The interesting thing about the new viola, Mister Don explained, is the viola maker used new technologies to help the musician feel better. The viola maker studied how a viola makes it's sound, then used computer technology to make the same sound with an instrument that is healthier and easier to play. The new viola is a mix of tradition and technology, coming together to help create beautiful music.

Miss Cynthia says it's something like me: a traditional teddy bear who uses a computer and the Internet to talk to all my friends. I hadn't thought about it, that way. Now when I imagine I am a viola player, I will play a new viola, just like my friend, Mister Don.

Your bear friend,

Perry Bear Ewer