I am always in awe when I hear an orchestra. Or more to the point, when I see and hear and orchestra. It hasn’t happened in quite some time.
It matters, too, what they are playing. The more I like the song, the more I like to watch them play. Especially when the song is lively, and has a beat you can really count on. No pun intended.
Most of the time, orchestras come in two varieties. The kind that sits upon the stage and is the main focus of the event, and the kind that is down in the orchestra pit, at plays and performances, at the front of the stage, down there, in that pit. Their little faces dimly lit.
They are, of course, a group of instrumentalists. Most of the time, they combine string, woodwind, brass, and percussion sections. Keyboards too. But you knew that. Regardless, here is a great tool for hearing the sections, kids or not. https://www.classicsforkids.com/music/instruments_orchestra.php
I cannot name my favorite composer, as I like many. I can’t name my favorite part of the orchestra either. Okay, I’ll try. Strings are probably first, then woodwinds and percussion as a tie for second. The keyboards. Then the brass pulling up the rear. Honest to god, it has nothing to do with the French Horn. But it just might be the trumpet’s fault.
Anyway, the thing that amazes me is their synchronicity. Their timing. They can follow the music to the very split second, the tiniest of beats. Well, except for the guy about three rows back, playing something you really can’t see because of his position, the one with the wrinkled suit, that looks like he just rolled out of bed three minutes before the performance, He just sits there and fakes it most of the time. The clear giveaway, is the woman sitting just to his right, the one looking at him sideways with a pained expression on her face.
But nothing makes me so nervous as the people in the percussion section. During some songs, if they miss the cymbal clang, the big gong, or heaven forbid, the beautiful, beautiful cowbell, the whole thing can run right off the rails.
Mostly, they work together flawlessly, and as a great whole, they produce a magical wonder for the ears. And the eyes.
I can’t think of anything else that takes such continuous cooperation and flawless timing. Even as an athlete, where timing is crucial, there is a lot of room for error. You can be slightly off and still make the play. You can swing just a little late and still hit the ball. In the orchestra, the punctuality is critical.
I know I am always making comparisons, but we, as individuals, as humans, have an orchestra inside each of us. There are orchestras inside the orchestras. But at our fundamental core are these things: our intellect, our emotions, and our spirituality. Our heads, our hearts, and our souls. When our internal orchestra is playing in good time, these things line up. We are melodious. We know the place we are in is right and the music that results is beautiful.
Yet, when one of these gets out of sync, we recognize that things are off. Sometimes we can’t put our finger on it, but our mood is sour, or we just don’t feel energetic, or every little thing is making us sad. Getting it all to come together in a harmonious way takes a skilled conductor. Maybe that’s why they say we should conduct ourselves in a good manner?
I don’t know what the secret is, but we know those times when we can clearly see, or know, the music in front of us, and every part of this seems to play it just as it should be played. I think that is what it means to be at peace. When it all lines up in perfect time. It is during those times when we bring our good songs to the world, whatever they may be.
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“Time is an illusion, timing is an art.”
― Stefan Emunds
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“The right thing at the wrong time is the wrong thing.”
― Joshua Harris
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“The most confused you will ever get is when you try to convince your heart and spirit of something your mind knows is a lie.”
― Shannon L. Alder
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