Music, Music, Music

May and June are looking to be very music-heavy, in the best way possible.

• A few days ago, we went to my son's youth orchestra concert. They were amazing! I mean, like on a level of a good semi-professional orchestra. This is E's first year with this orchestra - he is in the 2nd violins section. He has auditions coming up next week and he's hoping to make it to the 1st violins section.
• Yevgeny Kissin!!!! We went to his solo recital yesterday. It's beyond words. Every sound, every note, every pianissimo, every rest - just perfection. The words that come to mind when I hear him play are subtle, perfected, unhurried... He plays like he is breathing, if that makes sense - so natural, without posturing, without bravado or unnecessary glitter. It's just music - pure and full of emotion. Every artist will interpret music a little different - and Kissin's take on music just makes sense to me - and he is so amazing at letting it flow through him and adding his own depth and experiences to the sound.
• The last time my husband and I saw Kissin was in the early 2000's, in Chicago.
• The last time my mom saw Kissin was 40 years ago, in Riga.
• H's jazz band concert yesterday that we, unfortunately, missed (because we were at Kissin's concert).
• Coming up this weekend: C's first ever cello recital. My mom is accompanying her on the piano.
• Next week: C's first ever band concert (she plays saxophone).
• Also next week: H's jazz band will be performing in our town during "dining under the stars" event.
• Coming up in June: H's piano recital (this includes a piano duet she is doing with my mom).
• Also coming up in June: E's violin recital (my mom will be accompanying him).

While I was sitting in the concert hall yesterday, a number of things occurred to me. I love going to concerts. Going to a concert on a Wednesday evening is pretty inconvenient and requires a lot of planning. Buying tickets way ahead of time is a good way to ensure that I actually go to concerts (because otherwise, I would just say "huh, there is a cool concert coming up but it's too inconvenient to go and, in any case, there are about 20 kid-related events that day, and also I have a ton of work that I need to catch up on" - and never go anywhere).