Mini-Vacation

As a family we didn't get a vacation this year due to how expensive everything has gotten.  Living in a Joe Biden economy sucks.  A trump economy probably won't be any better.  We were gonna go on a mini trip  last weekend to DFW to play mini golf at the tiger woods mini golf place and eat at Portillo's.  That didn't quite work out because I through out my back on Thursday and could't walk.

Prior to the back issue I had purchased tickets for the Dallas Winds Christmas concert which was held on Tuesday.  I wasn't too thrilled about the situation and decided to take it easy and see how I felt the morning of the concert....

My oldest and I drove to Dallas on Tuesday morning and played two rounds of mini golf at the tiger woods golf place, ate dinner at portillos and took in the concert on Tuesday evening.  We spent the night and drove back to home base Wednesday.

The concert was a treat.  I think every concert by the Dallas winds is a great concert.  This was different because I bought seats located in the choir terrace behind the band and in front of the pipe organ at the Meyerson.  It was a treat to see Jerry Junkin conduct from the musicians perspective.  The program was filled with holiday favorites and was capped off by a performance of Alfred Reed's Russian Christmas Music with an added pipe organ part.  It was worth the cost of admission alone to be there for that performance.  I also got to meet the organist, their bass clarinet player and the bass drum player I wrote about after the TMEA performance.  It was a treat to tell her how much I enjoyed her playing of the bass drum and what I thought it brought to the band's overall performance aesthetic.  She was kind enough and probably thought there was something wrong with me for singling her out to tell her how much I enjoyed her bass drum playing abilities.  But heh, different strokes for different folks.

If I am afforded the opportunity to see Dallas winds play at the meyerson again, I will definitely sit in the choral terrace if it's an available option.  The sound is a little different than being in seated in the hall.  But, I think it is more of a musicians perspective.  You sit overlooking the band and hear everything a little differently.  More localized sound instead of an ensemble sound.  A real treat was hearing the euphoniums, tubas and French hors from above.  Same with the timpani.  Watch Jerry conduct was also enjoyable.  His gesturing and conducting is next level.  He takes a lot of physical space with his grandiose gestures and he puts his all into what he does.  A consummate artist of the highest caliber.  

He's probably conducted hundreds of holiday concerts in his day.  I'm sure it's not the most rewarding experience to conduct Christmas Festival and Sleigh Ride for the umpteenth time - but Jerry looked like he was having a good time.  By the end of the concert he looked like he had been put through the wringer - having used a lot of energy for the concert.  

He could have half-assed this one and no one would have minded as it's not exactly demanding literature.  He did right by the music, the audience and the musicians.  It was a great time.

My oldest said band music wasn't his thing but he was glad I had a good time.  He got to see a wonderful concert and it just did't resonate with him the same way it does me.  He got to see the best band in the United States play a concert and politely sat through it... but he didn't enjoy it the same way I did.  

Somehow I don't think playing mini golf and attending the big show alone would have been near as much fun.  Well the concert would have been... at least we got to spend time together.