There is just something wonderful about Christmas music. If songs are familiar, the words just dance about in your head like sugar plums. You may start to hum the words or eventually, they may just slip across the tongue and through your lips.
Last Saturday I drove JDaniel and my mom to Atlanta to attend my nephew Jason’s orchestra concert. He has been playing the cello for a year and a half. Jason is the kind of boy that takes everything seriously from playing the cello to entertaining his biggest fan and youngest cousin. I knew if the other children were anything like Jason the concert would be well done.
When we arrived in the auditorium for the performance, my sister and her husband found a seat up front to make recording the performance easier. My mom, my nephew, JDaniel and I sat in the middle of the middle row to be able to see the performance well and hopefully focus on it. They worked out well for everyone.
There were three sections of the performance. The first-year students went first. Then the second year performed. Finally, the teacher performed with both groups of children together. The person in charge of the production decided to take advantage of all the bells and whistles available in the auditorium to help the audience enjoy the music. There was a projection screen that displayed parts of Christmas specials that fit the music like Frosty the Snowman. JDaniel loved watching the images flash by. There were all kinds of lights that danced around the musicians. Sometimes they danced like a conductor’s baton over the head of the musicians and onto the ceiling. JDaniel’s eyes caught the movement of every light. At the end of the concert the smoke and snow machines add their special effects to the music.
JDaniel sat mesmerized through most of the performance which is saying a lot for a two and three-quarters-year-old. He hopped off and on my mom’s lap twice but, most of the time he sat in a chair by himself and took it all in. He loved music. I could hear him sing the songs that were familiar to him in a sweet quiet voice. Thankfully the people around us didn’t mind.
The appearance of snow at the end of the performance was his favorite part. Curious George has an episode that features a snow machine. JDaniel has been asking me to make it snow inside for a few weeks. Now someone else has made the dream come true.
Jason did a wonderful job. He was in the first chair in the second row. We were able to see him play and enjoy the performance. All of the children did a great job really.
It was a wonderful way to introduce JDaniel to attending a concert and support his favorite cousin.
I hope you have had the opportunity to hear merry musicians make music this holiday season.
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