lessons from mozart.

Tonight I went to the symphony and had a few realizations. Initially, my thought of a symphony is a hall full of 80-90 musicians all playing the original works of Mozart, Beethoven, or some other classic composer. The first piece they played tonight diffused that idea completely. It was a modern piece. I liked it a lot. The thing that really caused me to think was the actual number of musicians on the stage. There couldn't have been more than a dozen. There was one of everything except the violin (there were two). This gave me the opportunity to realize the power of good acoustics in a musical hall. I was in the back corner of the first tier-not exactly close to the stage, but I heard every instrument, every pluck of every string. I was amazed. The music was beautiful. I also remembered an article I once read about a woman in a choir. She was lamenting the fact that she wasn't the lead soprano, but was a supporting alto. She was saddened by the fact that she wouldn't shine in the performance, but then had the realization that the performance couldn't go on without her. Every note counts and the notes that she sang, while not the lead solo, were important to the song. It would be incomplete without her. Awwww. Warm fuzzy moment. Anyhow...other thoughts that I had resulting from my night of finer things...
1) I was destined to play the timpani.
2) Concert hall's have some pretty incredible acoustics.
3) The cymbal and the triangle, while very different, both have a sound that carries quite well.
4) Music has an INCREDIBLE influence on the mentality and demeanor of people.
5) Musicians are their own class of people.
6) I should never play the timpani...I'd probably hit myself in the head with the mallet.