What’s not to love about a symphony variety show? A place where musicians play fiddles rather than violins; everyone sings whether professionally trained or no, conductors wield bows instead of batons; and pure silliness is allowed from folks who are usually, well, a little staid and classical?
I took myself out again last Sunday night. I went straight to Moss Performing Arts Center, plunked my plastic on the ticket table and said, “One please.” The ticket seller typed my name into the computer, charged my card and replied, “We’ll let you in if you promise to write something good about us.”
Oh. So I have a reputation? If you don’t already know, I have a habit of attending concerts, snapping photos and writing about them. I love to focus on the good things happening in my hometown. The visible growth of Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra is definitely a good thing. I went to the variety show on Sunday night expecting to enjoy good music – hopefully of many genres. The most impressive take-away, however, was the display of courage.
In her book, Daring Greatly, Brené Brown maintains that vulnerability, “Sounds like truth and feels like courage. Truth and courage are not always comfortable.”
Every participant who took the stage has amassed years of experience and education in performance or communications. Through constant use, and honing of skills, they have, to all appearances become perfect. Perfect or not, even under normal circumstances it takes courage to step on a stage and reveal your inmost self through music. But a variety show is not normal circumstances.
For this variety show, each musician aspired to something out of their comfort zone. Some picked up a secondary or tertiary axe. A conductor used to being “an elegant figure on the podium,” relinquished control. Laying aside the tails, he donned a costume and became Dick Van Dyke vulnerable – just to give the audience a laugh. Two trumpeters who have garnered awards and accolades willingly tooted shower tubing and plastic funnels while attempting classical cadenzas. Tell me this, if you knew perfection was at your fingertips with three valves and designer brass; would you submit to the uncertainty of plastic funnels and shower tubing? Thanks Judd and Scott, it was most impressive.
Most satisfying moments?
- The lyric mellow cello on Saint Saëns,
- singing along with down-home harmonies on Amazing Grace,
- a classic jazz combo.
A variety show, a fund-raiser, music thoroughly enjoyed by all, but an emotional act of courage, none-the-less. Wild crowd cheers and a thumb’s up to those in the musical arena: Alycia, Jeremy, Kelly, Kirk, and company of musicians.