Cultured

I had the chance to go to the symphony last week, which was cool. First, the building was amazing, so just seeing that was totally worth it. And the music was good, too. But I did realize that I probably don't quite have the symphonic appreciation that I maybe ought to have.

See, symphonies are not the most visual form of entertainment and my mind kept wandering, only it was wandering with a soundtrack provided by very talented musicians*. This probably wasn't helped by the fact that I was super tired (I know, I'm always tired). Also, there were no distractions--no books, no TV, no tablet, etc.--so my brain really cranked up the thought processes. Clearly, I need to disconnect more often so that instead of cramming 5 million thoughts into a 2 hour symphony concert, my brain can present them to me on a more regular and manageable basis.

But when you think about it, it's pretty cool that we still have symphony concerts. I mean, this was THE entertainment for people up until about 100 years ago. There was no radio, no TV, nothing like that. To hear music, they had to go to concerts. And we still do that, even though we have all these other ways to access music. It's pretty awesome!

Also, the conductors are really fun to watch. My friend sent me this TED talk by Itay Talgam about how conductors lead and it was fascinating to see the different styles. I found myself watching the conductor at the symphony and  it was super interesting. The first numbers--Bach and Boulez--he was very hands off. At certain parts, you might have thought an audience member was standing on stage to get a better view, because it was all very laid back. But the second part, Copland, it was almost like watching a dancer. I kind of wondered if it was a different conductor (but the program says no) because it was such a different style--very involved, very engaged. It was cool to watch.

And I learned that there is such a thing as a piccolo trumpet and a piccolo violin. Who knew? So you can see it was a very educational experience. Even with the wandering mind and sleep head.

*I have learned 4 different musical instruments in my life and have never come close to being that good. I did have a moment of inferiority syndrome/what am I doing with my life? I am all around average but I can't think of a single thing I really excel at. Is that a bad thing? Or are we all good with this? Anyone else out there a well-rounded average soul?