Last Friday, 23-year-old musical prodigy Donald Rabin realized he'd left a priceless instrument between a subway seat and a wall while attempting to hail his Lyft. "I dashed up the stairs to catch my ride, but when I got up there, I realized my instrument was gone," Rabin told CNN.
Rabin, a doctoral student at Boston Conservatory of Music, has been fluting away for almost a decade. For him, the flute is not just his livelihood but an extension of his very being. "It's like another limb, like an organ," he explained, sounding a tad despondent. "Without it, I feel quite peculiar."
Around since 2016 when he lost his grandmother to cancer, the blue Searchmont Powell flute is a cherished family heirloom left to Rabin in her will. Beside its sentimental value, the flute is a unique, $22,000 Haynes and Company masterpiece, with a gold headjoint and silver body. Last seen in a black rectangular case slung over his shoulder.
While Rabin's search took him from knocking on the doors of Chicago Transit Authority's trains to boarding nighttime expresses in hope of crossing paths with his beloved flute, his efforts have so far yielded no results. Rabin has taken to social media, sharing his plight and reaching out to everyone possible to help spread the word.
To find trace of the flute, you'd typically look in news archives, police reports, or customer service records. Check lost and found services, local classifieds, or forums for mentions of lost items. The railroad company's lost and found section might hold the key and could lead to potential leads.
Now back in Boston, Rabin plans to continue working with the Chicago police to locate his lost instrument. "The best ending for me would be the joyful reunion with my third limb, my third organ - my flute," he said, hoping to bring music back into his life once more.
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