"Music of the Heart"

What a musical week The Avery's have had. We ended our musical week last night with an evening at the symphony-- a working rehearsal performance of Beethoven's Ninth, and the final selection for the 08-09 SLSO season.

Now anyone and everyone who breaths air knows Beethoven's Ninth. I mean I can hardly escape, to this day, renditions of Ode to Joy on a recorder, played by a third grader. One of the Ode'd-to-Joy's of working in an elementary school. As I sat waiting for the working rehearsal to begin I read the program. In there was a story about how the SLSO performed the Ninth every season in the 60's and 70's till-- as the musician put it "the joy in Ode to Joy was lost." I could relate. I remember when the girls came home so excited over there new found musical talent that they squeaked that plastic horn till my ears bleed, chasing them outside on the deck to continue there one woman concert. Just like the hiatus I had from Ode to Joy so have the classical music lovers of Saint Louis--waiting patiently for its return to the stage. There is something musically captivating about the Ninth that music lovers cannot deny. Whether it is the peaceful serenity of the second movement or the joy-ful excitement in the fourth movement--the choir belting out a strong and powerful chorus in German. Just to watch these musicians makes one realize what is to earn a living doing what you love with your life's passion. I mean how many of us can say that, that we earn a living doing what we are truly passionate about? D has a dream and desire to be a music teacher, we took her for her first non-school trip to the symphony last night. We wanted her to hear the SLSO Choir-- exposing her to opportunity in the world of choral music. She was in awe and doubly by their singing her chosen foreign language. I mean while sat struck by the movement of the strings, there bows moving in perfect unison slowly and then as quick as humming birds wings flutter-- with nothing less than beauty permeating sounds through the concert hall. D couldn't have thanked King Ralph and I enough times for her special evening out.

While three of us were mellowed by music M spent a Wednesday evening thrashed into the world of heavy metal and her first real concert (in box seats). Sometimes I wonder how could I have possibility spawn this tall-lean-pink-loving-girl who's passion is high fashion yet loves WWE wrestling and head banger metal music--if you can dare to call metal music music. (If it ensues anger in me having to hear it then it isn't music. It makes a mother out of me as I scream "turn that down") She went as the guest of her BGF (best guy friend) to see, hear Slipknot. Now look at their picture...it looks like a trip to hell. Worse than a quick breeze through Hot Topix to buy a novelty T-shirt. This picture resembles the sort of thing horror movies are written about and nightmares result from. Not music.

I am the mother of three girls each so totally different, each very much allowed to express there individuality. (Still Slipknot spooks the day light out of me!)

Back peddle.

The week started on the most wonderful musical note-- D and a select group of 6th, 7th and 8th graders singing "God Bless America" at Busch Stadium. Listening to the patriotic song while experiencing altitude sickness is another story--why is it the school tickets are always in section 453 and there is only 453 sections in the dam stadium? Why do the Cardinals always have to lose at these games? Still, I love our Red Birds!

There you have it our week of music of the heart--Avery style.