the symphony

Sometimes I romanticize the event. I make reservations several weeks in advance and look forward to exposing the kids to "real culture" and being classy myself. It's even fun to consider it a dress-up-worthy day.

I truly believe it's an amazing event, and I love that Inside the Orchestra makes it possible for kiddos to be ThisClose to the music, and really soak in the experience. For three years in a row, we've attended the on-the-stage performance at Boettcher Auditorium. It's like theatre in the round, but the audience is surrounded. Love it!

But. I have to be honest and clarify that it's not classy. Or at least not for my crew. It's hectic. Reviewing this year's performance *which I truly did LOVE*, I found all this pouring onto the keyboard:

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Whew. I love [it] every year, but every year it's never the relaxing, sweep-me-away experience I envision. Rather, it's rush-rush-rush, park, scrunch in, try to find friends who are also there with kids, "pardon me" closer to them, try to get comfortable, laugh at the conductor's jokes (though this year he asked the 7-year-old pianist if her mother was a "Tiger Mama;" at first it seemed a tactless comment, but on reflection, it struck me as a little racist), wish Figaro's song wasn't quite so long, LOVE all the surround sound, reposition, tell the kid to sit down, again, marvel at being on stage!, sigh, soak in the music, dig out a couple of bucks, shuffle up to an instrument for the kid to touch, be swept off stage, potty, try to remember where the car is, rush back to school.

**

Having gotten that out, I do feel free to simply LOVE the experience as one of the most magical events for kids. I mean, really, how can you go wrong when little people are surrounded by world class artists playing the theme song from Star Wars?!

For a more loving review of the symphony from a couple of years ago (and the set list is pretty much the same each year), see here.