Day 12: On stage

Day Twelve: A picture of something you love.


I'm going to take some liberty with this one and post a video instead of a picture. This one happens to be from a concert held last night with the Taylorsville-SLCC Symphony, SLCC combined choirs, and musicians from Granger High School, performing Vivaldi's Gloria. The movements here are Gratias Agimus Tibi, Propter Magnam Gloriam, and Quoniam Tu Solus Sanctus.  (Special thanks to Matthew for taking the video.)





I love performing with an orchestra.

I love arriving backstage before a show and hanging around with the other performers while we wait to go on.

I love when the conductor calls everyone together for a pep talk, reflecting on how great our rehearsals went, and how if we just do what we did there, we'll put on a good show.  I love in these circles when recognition and thanks are given to those contributors who, with their service and leadership, were a giant help to the group in recent weeks and months.  I love the general feeling of family and unity among everyone involved in the show.

I love stepping out onto the stage and being bathed in light.  I love seeing the waiting audience, finding my seat, and exchanging rounds of "Good luck!" and "Here we go!" with the orchestra members around me.  I love that electric feeling before the show begins--that feeling of this is it.

I love standing uniformly with the rest of the orchestra when the conductor enters the stage.  I love the audience's applause when their wait is done and the show begins.

I love the look of all the sections raising their instruments at the conductor's command.  I love those surprising first notes, when we realize the acoustics in the auditorium aren't what we had in rehearsal.  I love playing the harmony, but also those especially expressive places in the music that sing, "Here come the second violins!"  I love the tingling feeling that comes with particularly epic segments of music, and being in the middle of the loudest place in the whole building during those moments.

I love whispering and giggling with my stand partner between songs while we sort through our sheet music.  I love peeking at the audience to see who's there and how they're receiving our performance.

I love the break at intermission, and walking around with a feeling of importance because I'm part of the show.

I love being joined by a choir for a grand finale that opens the windows of Heaven itself.

I love the standing ovation as we all rise once more and breathe a sigh of relief over being done for the night.  I love that brief awkward moment, when everyone wants to get off the stage but no one wants to be first.

I love the atmosphere backstage when the show is done and we're all patting each other on the back saying "Good job tonight!"

I love walking back to my car and hearing someone hum a song that we played.

I love all the different places I can go with the orchestra to have these experiences.  I love the beautiful churches and the old school auditoriums, the ritzy hotel lobbies and the outdoor amphitheaters.

And that only scratches the surface of my love for performing; I really couldn't imagine my life without it.