A joyful location, campfire performance, quality coffee on the move

Jessica Bodner serves as a Professor of the Practice and Violist with the Parker Quartet.

Fresh Pond is a genuine Cambridge treasure — stunning in every season, and one of those exceptional places where you can genuinely experience the transitions of the seasons day by day. It’s a location for solitude, companionship, or to sense the serene vibe of a community coexisting. I jog there frequently — it’s even where I casually completed my first half-marathon, looping endlessly. It has also been a delightful space for our family: our vizsla Bodie roamed freely there for years, and when the time comes, we’ll probably introduce a new puppy to those same trails. My husband and I have taken our son there since he was an infant — enjoying nature walks, bike rides, and countless discoveries along the journey. It’s among my most cherished spots on Earth.

As a classical musician who has dedicated my entire career to chamber music, I constantly find inspiration in profound musical collaboration. I’ve adored Radiohead for 25 years, but witnessing Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood perform together in such an intimate environment still astonished me. After years of collaborating, the trust and comfort between them is remarkable — it’s that kind of connection that uncovers a magical energy that only the arts and collaboration can access.

My husband and I journey extensively to perform concerts and serve as guest instructors, and it became quite a hassle and sometimes extremely disheartening to search for good coffee — hotel coffee can often be the absolute worst! We decided to take matters into our own hands and began traveling with our own coffee setup — Miir mugs, an Aeropress, a hand grinder, a collapsible kettle, and of course, coffee beans. 

— As recounted to Sy Boles, Harvard Staff Writer