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Friday, July 27, 2012

Music, Love, and the Hollywood Bowl

I took myself out on a Me Date last night --


Thibaudet Plays Ravel, one of a series of Classical Thursdays at the Hollywood Bowl. The Ravel pieces were spectacular, I went to hear some of my absolute favorite pieces of music, including:





Before I was acting and writing, I was an instrumentalist - piano and clarinet. Performing music was the thread of my life growing up - I played in the marching band, a concert wind ensemble, and a regional youth orchestra. I had private teachers throughout my childhood. I wore clarinet t-shirts. I was a total music nerd.

Even though there was plenty of angst around practicing and those damned stressful solo festivals, I look back on that period of my life with great fondness. Music education gave me so many opportunities to grow as a person and be shaped by discipline.

Going to the Hollywood Bowl for classical concerts is a wonderful reminder of my childhood music life --


Because there's nothing like sharing the gift of music with 18,000 other people! The evening was magical, like every evening at the Hollywood Bowl. I soaked up the notes with a huge smile, remembering tidbits of my former life - like how the audience isn't supposed to clap if the conductor's arms are still raised between movements and how the soloists get to stand for their own applause before the entire orchestra stands.

I loved growing up in music and I look forward to introducing my someday children to this love. Not in a tiger mom way, but even so, being first chair clarinet in so many ensembles was pretty damn sweet.

I miss it.

Were you a music nerd growing up? What did you play?

1 comment:

  1. I was not a music nerd in the sense that i played an intstrument BUT Music is my total drug of choice.. My FAV clarinet pieces are
    -Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor J. 114, Op. 73:I. Allegro
    - Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor J. 114, Op. 73:II. Adagio Ma Non Troppo
    -Clarinet Concerto No. 1 in F Minor J. 114, Op. 73:III. Rondo Allegreto

    performed by Antony Pay & the Orchestra of the age of Enlightenment.

    Do you know these peices??

    Susan

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