Symphony

Leah's first Des Moines Youth Symphony concert was the night before we left for Utah.  It was so fun listening to her practice in the weeks leading up to the performance in this beautiful hall of the Performing Arts Center. 

Here is the Nutcracker Suite 

(albeit sideways)

The Planets by Gustav Holst

And my favorite piece of the concert- Danny Boy.  Symphonia and Philharmonic combined for this beautiful arrangement. 

We were so excited that Leah's beloved 2nd grade teacher Mrs. Eischeid came to the concert.  She is a true blessing in our lives- loving and encouraging Leah just as much as Mom and Dad do.  She gave her a card that said some day she hopes to hear Leah perform in Carnagie Hall.  Wouldn't that be an accomplishment!

And we all made it to the end!  The final group consisted of all Des Moines area high school-aged musicians, and they were incredible.  Really, just wonderful.  The director of the group spoke for a moment, and I adored what he said so much that I jotted it down to remember for later-

"Music is love and joy.  It is enchantment and creativity. It's an art form that teaches us to listen, to love, to create, to inspire.  It is a gift of humanity."  

I felt that as I listened to each of the musicians perform- some of them headed to college and some of them no taller than Adam.  Music is a gift of humanity, and I'm so grateful that our whole family has been given this opportunity to immerse ourselves a little deeper into it. 

And we were so proud of Leah!  She put hours of practice into this concert, and the efforts definitely paid off!