Lost & found string instruments in Santa Barbara

Lost violins near State Street, Santa Barbara

After a small recital at the Santa Barbara Conservatory of Music, I realized my two violins were missing from the back of my car around 8:15 pm on Tuesday. The cases are black leather with a faint scuff along the edges; one violin has a slight crack on the back—the sentimental instrument I inherited from my teacher. I combed State Street between the Conservatory and Stearns Wharf, asking staff and locals if they'd seen them. They were more than instruments to me; they carried years of practice, memories of late-night rehearsals, and a promise I made to finish a piece for my grandfather.