Learning & Tech

Gateway to Adventure is a premium D&D learning experience. Been interested in trying out Dungeons & Dragons but didn't know where to find a group or how to get started? Let us take care of that for you!

You (and your friends) can embark on a curated adventure, played out over 3 weekly sessions. You will learn all the basics from character generation to combat and roleplaying in a safe space with pro Dungeon Master Jordan (aka @gendergolemdm ).

Sessions require a minimum of 4 players to run and can accommodate up to 6 players.

If you have any questions at all about the experience or how to book please give us a call or shoot us an email at [email protected]

Learn some fun games you can play with a crowd and a standard poker deck, such as Crazy Eights, Egyptian Ratscrew, or Spoons.

Strengthen your household readiness through the "Be 2 Weeks Ready" program, presented by PrepLO. Learn how to prepare for disasters like earthquakes, storms, and wildfires. This essential training includes hands-on CPR/AED instruction provided directly by the Lake Oswego Fire Department (LOFD).

Fee: FREE (Pre-registration is required)

Thursday, September 10 • 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Course ID: 33840 • Register Online

Thursday, December 10 • 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Course ID: 33841 • Register Online

Saturday, September 5 • 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Course ID: 33842 • Register Online

Saturday, December 5 • 9 a.m.–12 p.m.
Course ID: 33844 • Register Online

Tuesday, October 20 • 10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Course ID: 35016
Fee: FREE

Join clinical experts from Providence Health & Services to learn how age-related changes in balance, physical strength, and general medical health affect daily mobility. Discover concrete ways to minimize risks by modifying everyday medications, assessing footwear choice, and addressing common home environment hazards. Includes a short, participatory tai chi balance demonstration.

Presented by: Providence Health Leaders
Register Online

Thursdays, October 22 – November 12 • 12–1:30 p.m.
Course ID: 34887
Fee: Resident $36 / Non-Resident $54 (4-week course)

This structural, evidence-based series features weekly presentations by Providence clinical directors focused on optimizing physiological health as you age. Learn actionable, science-backed lifestyle habits designed to promote everyday brain fitness, strengthen emotional resilience, and maximize lifetime physical vitality rooted in the latest senior medical research.

Presented by: Providence Clinical Directors
Register Online

Tuesday, November 3 • 10–11:30 a.m.
Course ID: 34823
Fee: FREE

Join representatives from the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) for an invaluable QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) suicide prevention training session. Participants will learn how to recognize early situational warning signs, ask supportive, compassionate direct questions, and safely guide neighbors, friends, and family toward life-saving community crisis resources.

Presented by: NAMI NW Advisors
Register Online

Tuesdays • 9:30–11:30 a.m.
Fee: Resident $20 / Non-Resident $25 per multi-week section

Elevate your card game in a supportive, structured environment! Curated for enthusiasts who possess standard background play experience, this community class weaves short, technical lessons with real-time coached table play. Refine card play execution, clarify bidding options on the fly, and share the friendly table camaraderie of fellow players.

Section A (Sept 8 – Oct 27): Course ID: 35364 • Register Online
Section B (Nov 3 – Dec 15): Course ID: 35365 • Register Online

Thursday, October 29 • 2–4 p.m.
Course ID: 35370
Fee: FREE

Learn how to optimize your living space to be safer, energy-efficient, and structurally accessible using public county support systems. Experienced case managers from Clackamas County will detail application criteria for free residential weatherization upgrades, low-cost deferred maintenance home improvement loans, and localized senior accessibility renovation grants.

Presented by: Clackamas County Program Coordinators
Register Online

• Life’s Final Chapter Series (May/June): A thoughtful practical exploration covering end-of-life logistics, medical directives, and grief support, facilitated alongside Death Doulas NW and End of Life Choices Oregon.
• Estrangement & Reunion Workshops (May/June): Multi-session mental health family guidance led by the licensed marriage and family therapists of Family Ties Counseling Center.
• Caregiver Support & Resilience Intensives (May/June): Specialized, four-hour professional workshops covering dementia communication habits and chronic caregiver burnout prevention, led by Dr. Andrea Holzner.
• Healthy Legs as You Age (May 6): A cardiovascular educational forum addressing vein health, modern treatment options, and leg circulation, led by Dr. Toshio Nagamoto of Inovia Vein.
• Estate Planning Basics (May 20): A legal resource class reviewing wills, asset protection vehicles, and common probate filing pitfalls, presented by Michael Rose, Attorney at Rose Elder Law.
• Paying for Long-Term Care (June 10): A community seminar providing legal guidance on qualifying for public Medicaid benefits and managing long-term institutional residential costs, presented by Rose Elder Law.

Join a lively game of chess and put your skills to the test. Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned player, there’s a spot for you. Instructor Victor will be on hand to guide beginners, while experienced players can jump right in and enjoy the challenge. Amplified holiday jazz from KMHD will play in the background to enhance the experience.

Special Dickens Carolers performances on Dec. 6th and 13th at 2 p.m.

Mikis Theodorakis, one of Greece's most treasured and prolific composers, was widely known for film scores, such as the iconic "Zorba the Greek". This concert pays tribute to Theodorakis prolific body of work, including some of his lesser-known pieces and compositions that highlight Theodorakis' role as a symbol of resistance.

Whether your taste runs to folk or classical music, this concert has something for you. The Kombos Collective (including artists from San Francisco, Washington, DC and local Portland artists) will perform a range of Theodorakis' most beloved songs — pieces as historically significant as they are musically beautiful. This includes "Ballad of Mauthausen," set to the poetry of Holocaust survivor Iakovos Kambanellis, and widely regarded as one of the most beautiful songs ever written about the Holocaust. In addition to live music, attendees will learn about the enduring cultural significance of Theodorakis' music.

This program is organized by the Hellenic-American Cultural Center & Museum, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of Greece and Greek Americans in the Pacific Northwest.

Polish those D10s and shuffle your cards because OMSI After Dark: Game On! is back. Whether you’re a historian of retro gaming, an expert in dueling, or a card deck collector, this event is friendly for all players.

OMSI After Dark is a monthly event for guests 21 and over to explore the museum with a beverage in hand. On top of being able to roam the museum without minors, the added bonus of these events is the curated vendors and lectures relating to the monthly theme. The Planetarium will host four shows, and the Featured Exhibit is open for an additional fee. This month’s vendors and lectures will focus on gaming, but there will not be an exhibit on it. Check out the list of vendors below to see who is coming.

Tired of your abuela giving you the side-eye when you forget a word? Or maybe just looking for a low-stakes way to dust off your English skills? Whether you're a "No Sabo" kid or a fluent pro, we've got a spot for you!

LULAC Southwest Washington is teaming up with Dandelion Teahouse & Apothecary for a night of zero-judgement conversation. We're swapping the textbooks for board games and tea.

Here's the vibe:

-Practice your Spanish (even if it's just the basics!)

-Practice your English (o si hablas Español y quieres practicar tu Ingés)

-Play games & make friends in a cozy atmosphere.

Come for the practice, stay for the community. Si sabes, sabes!

Join our new Pokémon™ Club to learn, play, and connect through the Pokémon™ Trading Card Game (TCG). Whether you’re new or experienced, this inclusive space is all about casual play, learning, and having fun—no competition required.

La Center Community Library

Wednesday, September 23, 4:00pm–5:00pm

Wednesday, October 28, 4:00pm–5:00pm

Wednesday, November 25, 4:00pm–5:00pm

The Vancouver Bridge Club, 6503 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver, will offer a six-week class for beginning and intermediate bridge players from 10 a.m. to noon March 5, 12, 19, 26, April 2 and 9, instructed by Michael Walker, a Ruby Life Master and an accredited ACBL and Better Bridge Instructor. Topics include opening bidding, slam bidding, takeout doubles, doubler’s rebid, balancing and other doubles. Each lesson will also include handouts and practice boards for hands-on experience. The cost is $10 per lesson or $50 for all six.

Learn the building blocks of a great scene through playful storytelling, character choices, and TTRPG-inspired adventures! For kids in grades 3-5 with an adult.

• Registration is required for this event.
• Registration will close on November 5, 2026 @ 4:00pm.
• This event is for registrants grade 3rd Grade to 5th Grade.

Elevate your bridge game in a welcoming, low-pressure environment! Designed for players with prior experience, this program combines short, targeted lessons with guided table play to help you sharpen your strategies and build confidence. It’s the perfect opportunity to refine your skills, ask questions in real-time, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow enthusiasts.

Do you play chess? Would you like to learn? Join coach Scott as we all learn to play one of the world's oldest games.

All ages and all skill levels are welcome!

James Spooner joins PAM CUT for a screening of his film Afro-Punk, followed by an author talk for his new book It Starts With Anger. Books will be available for sale on site.

It Starts With Anger is a coming-of-age graphic memoir exploring race, identity, and rebellion through James Spooner’s teenage years in 1990s New York into his young adulthood in the early 2000s. Confronted with systemic racism, microaggressions, and Nazi extremism within punk spaces, Spooner traces how reactionary anger evolved into a creative force and a path to self-determination, along the way following the founding of the Afro-Punk movement, his eventual decision to leave the company, and an ongoing raw examination of the tensions between underground culture and mainstream success.

While not a traditional graphic memoir, It Starts With Anger combines black-and-white, zine-inspired visual elements including photos, illustrations, and cartoon panels with traditional narrative in a unique package that recounts the story behind Afro-Punk. James Spooner has not talked publicly about his reasons for quitting Afro-Punk previously, and the book is a damning indictment of its corporatization. But more importantly, it also offers a look at issues of Black identity, representation, and the lack thereof in a movement that had often prided itself on allyship, while being completely myopic to all the ways it fell short in that regard as a scene that was ironically both liberating and alienating for the Black people drawn to it.

ON SCREEN: Afro-Punk

2003. Directed by James Spooner. Runtime: 1 hour 6 minutes.

This film, which many may assume is a historical punk documentary, is actually an honest and needed treatment of race and identity. Punk and Hardcore music are simply the microcosm in which it is told. First-time director, James Spooner, in telling this story, has opened new dialogues on these crucial subjects both intra- and interracially. Many times funny, sometimes sobering, a wake-up call to America. An examination of the duality of racial identity that DuBois called “double consciousness.” What could have been “The Bad Brains Story” is a story about kids, alienated by two cultures and two communities. Many of these punk and hardcore kids have never questioned their role in the punk scene or the black community until their interviews, and it’s obvious as they struggle on camera to reconcile a fragmented self.

This program is co-presented by Literary Arts as part of the Cover-to-Cover program.

Join Beyond the Board, a fun, inclusive, and neurodivergent-affirming gaming event presented by Squirrel Space.

New to gaming? Come learn to play an RPG or board game, meet new people, and make new friends in a welcoming, supportive space. Find your game. Find your people.

Squirrel Space is dedicated to creating neurodivergent-affirming spaces and community connections.

Age Range: 8+

One of our professional Dungeon Masters (DMs) will guide your adventurer as they create their own character, collaborate with their party, and save the day!

Players with all levels of experience are welcome.

Do you want to be the very best? Well, it takes practice! Come to the Mox Boarding House Pokémon League and see if you've got what it takes to become an Ace Trainer! Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm Entry Fee: Free! Experience Level: All Experience Levels Welcome! A great event for new players and experience trainers all of ages. Try out new decks and learn all about the game from our Pokémon Professors. You can even win awesome promotional cards and other prizes just for participating in Pokémon League! There is no preregistration for this event, just show up ready to battle some Pokémon!

Venture into the amazing and imaginative world of Dungeons & Dragons! Have you ever wonder what goes into playing D&D? Would you like to try your hand at casting spells? Or wielding a giant ax? Or maybe you'd like to spin a tune on your lute. This event is for you! Learn to Play Dungeons & Dragons will be held at 12pm on the first and third Saturday of every month. It will be a single session where you learn how to build a character, the kinds of tools you need to play the game, and what a simple adventure looks like. Time: 12pm to 3pm every Saturday! Cost: Free!

Come learn the basics of American Mahjong in our registration-required class or play a drop-in game with other beginners

About the Class

Discover American Mahjong basics in this course. Class size is limited to 8 participants, and registration is required.

About the Drop-in Games

Join us for tween & teen chess club, where any level of player can enjoy games! Learn new strategies and improve your skills in a welcoming environment. From beginners to experienced players, play in an open and friendly setting! Get opportunities to play and learn through hands-on practice.

Join us every month for an evening of Magic the Gathering. Join the big commander group, learn the basics, build a deck, or play a 1-on-1 game in the corner (if you're not in the mood for a group game). We'll start the game between 6:30 and 7. But show up whenever. Pssst! We've got nooks for small games and a BIG table for Commander games!

The Vancouver Bridge Club will host free, assisted bridge play from 9:15-10:30 a.m. Saturdays at 6503 E. Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver. Attendees will get a free bridge lesson then play. Assistance will be available if needed.

Join us on Wednesdays for some Warhammer 40K casual play! In association with Overcast Wargaming we will have pick up and learn to play games available all evening. This event is perfect for casual players and folks interested in learning more about Warhammer 40K! Fill out...

Join us for casual chess where any level of player can enjoy games! Learn new strategies and improve your skills in a welcoming environment. From beginners to experienced players, play in an open and friendly setting! Get opportunities to play and learn through hands-on practice.

I'm looking to make a 5e character, either solo or with friends.

Join us for our weekly Pokemon Family Night. This is a casual open play/learn to play event that will grow with the community. Come on down to learn, play trade and catch 'em all!

ASL Game Night at Sign Language Cafe is always an evening of connection, fun, and inclusivity. Gather for an immersive experience that celebrates the Deaf and signing communities. This family-friendly event offers an array of card and board games, including options created by Deaf artists, providing a unique opportunity to explore creative contributions from within the community. Participants are encouraged to bring their favorite games to share, fostering a diverse and exciting environment.

The cafe setting provides an accessible and welcoming atmosphere, perfect for families and individuals alike to engage in spirited competition, learn new games, and make lasting connections. In addition, the Sign Language Cafe offers a space for Deaf and hearing individuals to communicate and collaborate seamlessly, supporting community bonds through shared interests.

Attending and participating in ASL Game Night, you’ll contribute to a culture of inclusivity and support both CymaSpace’s mission and the wider Deaf community. Join and connect over your favorite games, and help build a more inclusive Portland.

Do you know a young strategist, who's itching to learn the arcane arts? Look no further than Magic Academy - a series of supervised, sealed Magic: The Gathering leagues for kids ages 10-17.

One of our counselors will guide Planeswalkers as they collect cards and build decks that can summon creatures and create mystical effects, all while learning what it means to be a good sport.

Players with all levels of experience are welcome.

Artist Talk: Laura Ross Paul

Laura Ross-Paul has been painting professionally for over four decades. During that time she has been represented by nine West-Coast rallies from Seattle to LA, with solo exhibits at the Portland Art Museum, Oregon, The Column Gallery, Colorado College, Colorado: The Art Gym, Portland, Oregon; and important exhibits at the Arnot Museum, Elmira, New York; Palm Springs Art Museum,; Seattle Art Museum; Tacoma Art; the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (Eugene), The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (Portland), and The Schnitzer Family Collection.

Among her many awards, Ross-Paul has received the Bonnie Bronson Visual Arts Fellowship, an Oregon Arts Commission Individual Artist Fellowship, and the Susan Cooley Gilliom Artist and Teaching Residency in Roseville, California. Her art has been singled out for prizes in regional biennials at the Portland Art Museum, Tacoma Art Museums, and Turtle Bay Museum in Redding, California; featured in the cable TV film Spy (1989); and appears on book covers including fiction by Charles Spaeth (2011) and Barbara Wilson (1993) and poetry by Judith Barrington (2015).

www.lauraross-paul.com

Never heard of Crokinole? You’re in for a treat! Imagine a game that combines the strategy of curling, the precision of shuffleboard, and the angles and bank shots of pool. That’s Crokinole! Crokinole is a fast-paced, easy-to-learn dexterity game where players flick wooden discs across a beautifully crafted circular board, aiming to land their shots in high-scoring areas while knocking their opponents’ discs out of the way. It’s a game of skill, strategy, and a little friendly rivalry. The best part? You can learn to play in just a few minutes, but you’ll discover there’s always room to improve! Join the West Side Crokinole Club at Mox Boarding House for a fun, welcoming Crokinole event. Whether you’ve never played before, tried it once, or are already hooked, we’d love to have you join us. We’ll have boards available, experienced players ready to teach, and plenty of opportunities to jump into a game. No experience or equipment is necessary. Just bring your curiosity and a willingness to have fun! Come give it a flick! You might just discover your new favorite game. Learn more about the Westside Crokinole club here. Entry: Free! Experience Level: All experience levels are welcome!

<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NEW! </b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of the 40 plus varieties of Mahjong worldwide, traditional Hong Kong style is most often seen played in public parks and community spaces. It is rapidly growing in popularity stateside and preserves the "Old Style" ruleset.</span>

Ages: 55 and up

Openings: 3

We are excited to partner with Hero Workshop to provide a weekly After School D&D program. Great for veterans and new players! Its a weekly D&D session for your young adventurer. For more information on the Hero Workshop offering check out their website HERE! Scholarships may...

Hands on 3D printing orientation covering basic printer use and file creations.

Age 10+. Children under 12 must attend with an adult.

#Collaboratory

Join Cheri Arthur, an Ambassador for American Wild Horse Conservation. Learn about Velma Johnstone, the first woman advocate for wild horses and burros, and the history of Oregon's wilds horses. You'll hear about the challenges of land management and access, and learn ways to get involved if you are interested.

Join acclaimed historian Lord Andrew Roberts for a fascinating look at the men who helped build — and ultimately unravel — Napoleon Bonaparte’s empire. In his new book, Napoleon and His Marshals, Roberts brings to life the extraordinary generals who served at Napoleon’s side, from the courageous Ney and flamboyant Murat to the tenacious Masséna, iron-willed Davout, and meticulous Berthier.

In 1804, Napoleon created the Marshalate, the highest military honor of the French Empire, and over the next decade elevated 26 of his most accomplished generals to the rank. Roberts explores their personalities, ambitions, rivalries, and complex relationships with their emperor, revealing how Napoleon’s leadership both inspired fierce loyalty and fueled destructive competition among his marshals. Ultimately, only two of the 26 would ride beside him at Waterloo.

Drawing on years of scholarship on Napoleon and his era, Roberts offers a dramatic and richly detailed portrait of the men whose military brilliance helped create Napoleon’s extraordinary empire — and whose rivalries helped bring it down.

This event is a co-production with The Chartwell Society of Oregon, a chapter of the International Churchill Society.

Are you a skilled Pokémon Trainer? Or perhaps looking to learn how to play?

Join our Play! Pokémon Open Session to battle against other Trainers, or on of our resident Professors!

All ages are welcome

<font face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> This originally traditional Chinese game sharpens the mind and reduces isolation and depression by fostering social connections. Join our growing community of players in Portland! </font>

Ages: 18 and up

Openings: 0

Come learn and play Cyber Savage on the 3rd Friday of the month!

Inspired by Crater Lake National Park, Michael Gordon’s Natural History weaves Native and symphonic music in this paean to the natural landscape. Plus, hear works by two of classical music’s most intrepid pioneers: Stravinsky’s experimental musical essay on wind and brass sounds, Symphonies of Wind Instruments,and Beethoven’s vivacious and dramatic Symphony No. 1. Oregonian Grace Miedziak enhances the program with a new work that celebrates the Pacific Northwest.

• Norman Huynh Conductor
• Steiger Butte Drum and Singers Native American ensemble
• Members of Portland State University Chamber Choir Ethan Sperry, Conductor
• Oregon Symphony

• STRAVINSKY Symphonies of Wind Instruments
• Michael GORDON Natural History
• Grace MIEDZIAK Cascadence (Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow at the Oregon Symphony, Oregon Symphony commission)
• BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Op. 21

This concert is part of Classical Series A, and is eligible for the Choose Your Own Series (Portland only). Concert length is approximately 1 hour 33 minutes, with one intermission.

This pre-concert talk takes place one hour before the Sunday matinee performance.

SUN, NOV 1, 1PM: Conductor Norman Huynh and Rizzo-Cummings Emerging Composer Fellow Grace Miedziak with All Classical Radio host Warren Black.

Featuring special guest Gary Hershberger (Mike Nelson) in person!

Joins us for the complete Twin Peaks series on the big screen for the first time in history! We continue our year-long celebration of the greatest TV show of all time The Missing Pieces. Rarely shown in theaters, this feature film presents deleted scenes from Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me assembled together as an untold portion of the story’s prequel. Following a Q&A, we’ll then begin The Return with episodes “My Log Has a Message for You” and “The Stars Turn and a Time Presents Itself.”

Gary Hershberger will be signing autographs and taking photos with fans for an additional fee at the event.

Forge your keys during our weekly casual KeyForge meetup. Don't know how to play or have a KeyForge deck of your own? No problem! Demo games are always available and you can learn to play with one of our decks.

Format: Casual play.
Event begins at 6:30 PM.
Entry Fee: Included with any purchase from our cafe or a KeyForge deck.
Cap: 8 Players. First come, first served.

No outside food or drink.

Learn the traditional Chinese game to enhance your skills in a supportive environment, with an instructor available to assist with decision-making.

Ages: 18 and up

Openings: 12

• Thursday, November 5
• The Heathman Lodge | 7801 NE Greenwood Dr., Vancouver
• Doors Open: 6:00 p.m. | Program Begins: 6:30 p.m.

Join our new Pokémon™ Club to learn, play, and connect through the Pokémon™ Trading Card Game (TCG). Whether you’re new or experienced, this inclusive space is all about casual play, learning, and having fun—no competition required.

One of our professional Dungeon Masters (DMs) will guide your adventurer as they create their own character, collaborate with their party, and save the day!

Players with all levels of experience are welcome.

In this stunning and compulsively readable memoir, the Oscar-winning star of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, The Goonies, and Everything Everywhere All at Once, Ke Huy Quan, tells the story of his journey from Vietnamese refugee to 80s child star to the most inspiring comeback in Hollywood history. Interviewed by OPB’s Dave Miller. Ke Huy Quan’s Hollywood adventure began when he was twelve years old, a mere five years after his family escaped Communist Northern Vietnam and settled down to a relatively peaceful life in L.A.’s Chinatown. After attending an open call audition on a whim, he was unexpectedly swept up in the wild world of filmmaking: learning to swim from Harrison Ford on the set of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, receiving trucks full of toys from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas for his birthday, meeting Princess Leia and Luke Skywalker, and making lifelong friends on the set of The Goonies.

A star of two of the most beloved movies of the ‘80s, there appeared to be no limit to Ke’s rise. But just a few years later, the roles had dried up and it seemed like Hollywood no longer had a place for him. He eventually left acting to work odd jobs behind the scenes for directors like Wong Kar Wai. His confidence was badly shaken, but his love of performing never abated. It wasn’t until decades later, when he was 49 years old, that he stepped back in front of the camera to star in a strange little indie film called Everything Everywhere All at Once, which surprised everyone with its incredible box-office and awards season success. To call Ke’s Oscar-winning performance a triumphant return would be an understatement.

In this moving, inspirational memoir, Ke paints a vivid self-portrait, telling both heart-wrenching and funny stories of his early rise, slow fall from the spotlight, the resilience that kept him going through his darkest times, and his eventual resurrection on one of the biggest stages in Hollywood. Never Say Die is the story of Ke’s extraordinary life, a love letter to the movies and people that shaped him, and a powerful testament to never giving up on your dreams.

Broadway Books is thrilled to welcome Anthea Kreston with her debut memoir Crescendo: Chronicles of an Adventurous Violinist (Paul Dry Books, 2026). She will be joined in conversation with Ling Ling Huang, author of Natural Beauty and Immaculate Conception.

When American violinist Anthea Kreston, called “An Indomitable Spirit” by Yo-Yo Ma, is selected as the fourth member of Germany’s Artemis Quartet, it is the culmination of decades of dedication. In Crescendo, her enchanting and deeply personal memoir, Kreston writes about growing up in a well-to-do but difficult family in Chicago, leaving home at age sixteen, studying at the ultracompetitive Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia (Hilary Hahn was a classmate), then burning out and leaving it all behind for a commune in Oregon.