I had the pleasure of attending the concert with the Coachella Valley Symphony on July 26 at the Idyllwild Community Center venue.
After reading the letters [in the Aug. 2 issue of the Town Crier] commenting on the noise the children made while playing in the Children’s Playground during the concert, I feel it necessary to offer another perspective.
I wasn’t expecting the C.V. Symphony. I was ahead one week thinking I was going to hear City Beat.
I was pleasantly surprised how nice it was to listen to a symphony orchestra performing traditional and classical music in very casual, comfortable, outdoor surroundings. I didn’t even notice the “noise” of the children.
While the playground’s permanent location was carefully thought out, the concert venue is and has been a temporary solution until a permanent amphitheater is created within the ICC.
Most of us who attend symphony concerts expect them to be somewhat formal, in a rigidly controlled environment, quiet, and staid. This was refreshing and fun.
I’m sure the children will remember it as one of their happier times — having fun playing in a fantastic playground, while hearing classical music, with the added benefit of not being shushed by irritable parents embarrassed by their behavior. For some of these children, this may be the one time they have the opportunity to hear classical music, which may open their eyes to other possibilities.
That night, I enjoyed jazz, Broadway tunes, and classical music without the seriousness it always seems to provoke, while I enjoyed the cool summer evening under the pines with people who appeared to be doing the same.
The energy felt good. It turns out that it was one of those synchronistic occurrences for me because I wouldn’t have come otherwise.
If a quiet, staid venue is what you want, there are many from which to choose around Southern California. Why not enjoy this unique atmosphere?
The music was just as beautifully performed and just as enjoyable, if not more so. I appreciated the evening so much, it reminds me of a quote from Plato, “Music … gives wings to the mind, a soul to the universe, flight to the imagination, a charm to sadness, a life to everything.”
Music doesn’t have to be confined within certain parameters all of the time. We can open our minds to other ways of listening.
Emily Roossien
Idyllwild
