The Language of Music

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I had the pleasure of joining my colleagues and accompanying 65 fifth graders to see the Rochester Philharmonic at the Eastman Theatre (above) perform on Valentine's Day ~ what a treat! Watching my students take all of this in was pure joy. Lots of preparation went into this trip. Their music teacher prepared them well.  We enjoyed Beethoven, Bach, Berliosz, and Stravinsky....and these kiddos could match the piece with the composer!  It was a language that needed no translation and was universally understood.  They could relate to the story, the theme, and the mood of each piece. High fives and fist bumps were evident when they got the correct answer:) Even more fun was seeing the chandelier with 20,000 crystals and the velvet seats....and the fancy bathrooms!  Those were a big hit.

We go every year, and every time I am more excited to see their reaction than the performance itself.  Every student wore their dress clothes and used their best manners - so proud of them, and so thankful that we have this opportunity to go each year.  Every time I hear these pieces, I will think of them....and how the language of music can be understood by so many.