A Walk Down Symphony Lane
We all remember that first love – butterflies in your stomach, heart rate increases, and they’re always on your mind. For me, that feeling comes every time I step out on a concert stage. Even the slight anxiety that forms right before a big performance gives me goosebumps today.
Yes, my first love was the symphony.
Fun fact about myself: I am classically trained. I played the Viola (no, not the Violin) from sixth grade up to my Sophomore year in College until the inevitable happened and the art program was cut, abruptly ending my short but impactful music career. Nonetheless, I’ve continued to enjoy my passion by indulging in as many symphony concerts as I can.
National Geographic’s Symphony for Our World tour show came into town last weekend, and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Dallas Symphony Chorus showcased an engaging performance directed by guest conductor Kelly Corcoran.
Driven by a five-part composition – broken down by sea, shore, land, mountains, sky – Symphony for Our World was a one-hour celebration of Planet Earth as it combines beautiful National Geographic natural history footage with an original symphony composed by Bleeding Fingers Music, resulting in a compelling tribute to the beauty and wonders of our wild world.
“When going to a performance, the music is the entire focus, giving you the ability to completely immerse yourself.”
(Photos by Imani Chet Lytle)
If you’ve never been to a symphony before, it’s a bit challenging to describe it in words: When you first arrive, and the orchestra starts tuning to harmonize each other – it’s genuinely satisfying.
Then the conductor raises their baton, and the whole music hall goes quiet. You’ll notice the musicians adjust themselves as they prep for the signal to play. The air is taut – you wouldn’t dare drop a pen on the floor. All of a sudden, the conductor takes a sharp breath, waves baton, and the magic begins.
Everyone is paying attention to one person, the conductor, but at the same time, they are listening to their fellow musicians so that they may blend and become one.
The violins are harmonizing with the clarinets players in the back as the French horns match the same beat with the cellists. The choir swells in volume and creates a sense of tranquility in the room. When going to a performance, the music is the entire focus, giving you the ability to immerse yourself completely.
A neighbor to the Meyerson Symphony Center, I tend to go to concerts more than cinema movies lately. Last month, another fellow Violist and I caught the Star Trek and Beyond musical series where conductor Jeff Tyzik led an exciting performance through sci-fi movie classics like Star Wars, E.T., and 2001: A Space Odyssey. Then this Friday, the symphony is hosting a free Arts District Showcase with Liz Mikel where you can enjoy lunchtime entertainment with some jazz music and good company.
Buy single tickets now for upcoming concerts at the Dallas Symphony. From Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone to Joshua Bell & 5 Fabio Luisi productions – the DSO has a variety of extraordinary performances in store for that special someone, the entire family, or just for yourself.
