PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: If practice makes perfect, then it’s easy to see why Peter Ludlow ’09 is at the top of his game. Whether he’s packing a powerful serve for Vassar’s men’s tennis team or playing the piano, Ludlow’s days often include hours of practice.
“I got accustomed to seeing the Steinways everywhere, and it’s a nice treat to go into one of the parlors and watch a small audience gather as I play.”
As a music major, Ludlow fields last-minute calls to accompany student recitals and campus musical groups, and has even been called upon to provide entertainment for a wedding. He took up the piano when he was eight or nine and later took lessons from the organist at his local church. “I’ve spent a lot of time practicing the organ in Vassar’s chapel,” he says. “The fact that I could have the chapel pretty much to myself while I practiced really drew me to Vassar originally.” Vassar’s 65 Steinway grand pianos were also a selling point. “I got accustomed to seeing the Steinways everywhere, and it’s a nice treat to go into one of the parlors and watch a small audience gather as I play.”
While growing up on a potato-turned-dairy farm in Bridgehampton, NY, Ludlow also developed an early love of tennis after a local pro offered him lessons. “My brother and I would just beat up on one another for hours and have five set battles that took days to finish,” he recalls. He joined his high school’s tennis team and knew he wanted to continue to play in college.
When Ludlow advanced to the collegiate level, one thing remained the same—the circa 1980s Wilson Pro Staff racket he uses in every match. “The racket may not be light, but I can put the serve exactly where I want,” he says, adding that he brought five rackets to Vassar his first year and has tried to stock up ever since. At the suggestion of his coach and team, Ludlow has tried to play with newer, lighter rackets, only to return to his old faithful Pro Staff. “I’m down to three rackets now and went back to buy more, only to discover that they no longer make them,” he says. “We won the Liberty League Championships in 2007 and went to nationals, so I think I’ve done pretty well with it.”
During the season, Ludlow’s day often consists of running between the tennis courts and the chapel. “There were days when choir rehearsal started at 7:00 and I left tennis practice at 6:30. Trying to quickly shower and make it on time took a little coordination,” he recalls. “There are only so many hours in the day, and it feels like I’m always practicing something.”