Festive

I started playing the violin when I was 5 years old. Suzuki method. Intense. And after the tens of thousands of dollars my parents invested and the thousands of hours I spent studying I will never be a professional musician.

But the investment was worth it because I LOVE music. To my very core I love music.

On Friday night we got a babysitter and the ear doctor and I went to see the nutcracker. We seats that, technically, are probably the worst in the whole house...box seats, right by the stage...practically IN the pit. I watched half of the show through the wings...but I was in heaven.

Hearing the musicians practice the tricky runs before the curtain lifted, watching the oboe player get out her iphone with a tuner app (I didn't even know that existed!)...it all reminded me of my love for music (and the Russian composers in particular) and my early experiences performing.

And then the show started and we were so close none of the music needed amplification. We were hearing the pure sounds of the instruments...and the tiny squeaks of the leather shoes on the stage. It was totally wonderful.

A perfect Christmas date