the rehearsal

I was invited to rehearsal,

Not giving much thought past the word “orchestra”

Without an understanding of music, let alone an orchestra, I knew I was interested. I love a good story to capture & this symphony is nearing 60 years. Count me in.

The day of rehearsal, I was rushing to get there on time.

Squeezing every ounce of life before & after my time in the theater.

I tried to imagine what it would be like once I got there, knowing my only experiences would fall short.

But still - my soul was curious.

When I made it to the theater I was quickly given ultimate creative freedom. BIG WIN.

Tell me you trust me & I’ll thrive behind the camera.

It’s when there’s boundaries, road blocks, stop signs & one ways that things get tricky for an artist at work.

So,

I did what any artist does.

I watched.

I wondered.

I soaked it all up, at first.

Then, they started playing.

I was immediately engulfed by this music.

Somehow, I had downplayed this in my head!

I felt like I noticed things I’ve never seen before.

The instruments, the tools, the music sheets.

Have I seen this before???

I felt like I was really hearing an orchestra for the first time.

Taking note of each instrument as I quietly squeezed me & my canon through the seats.

Holy crap.

The way they effortlessly understand the music sheets & play those instruments as easy as they would shake my hand.

Impressive, to say the least.

Obviously, they stay used to this kind of thing so I tried to keep my impressed thoughts in, instead of shaking every single one of them screaming “YOU’RE SO COOL!!!”

Here’s the thing.

It’s easy to forget about the talents we have.

It’s easy to get used to the things we do well.

We all know about this.

The way this orchestra moved me that day, it was refreshing.

I could have sat in that theater the rest of the day, just listening, just noticing.

I could have said no to the invite.

I could have been disinterested bc what do I know about music?!

But then, I would have missed all this. The things I’ve noticed for the first time.

It makes you wonder,

Just how many times have I passed by a quiet opportunity? The ones that beg you to stop & listen?