From one extreme to the other in just a few hours, that’s what Sunday was. The pendulum to one side: the “Glow” concert. Friday was good, Sunday was epic (that’s what you get when you get a second shot at it after no rehearsals in the concert space…). All of the little things aligned, all of the big things were bigger and the audience overflowed the place, even filling the seats to the side and behind (!) us.

(Side note: it was really cool to turn around during the “rain forest” section of “Tres Cantos” and lead the beside/behind folks in the sound effects when they couldn’t see what Susie was doing at all. Good fun.)

Some things that were epic ALL the time…

Tommy Yee is seriously awesome.

The UH brass is seriously awesome too.

Daniel Sananikone can REALLY play the trumpet.

The aforementioned sound of the rain forest made with our hands got an initial “Hunh?” from the audience that quickly transformed into “It sounds like rain!”.

It’s impossible to do anything but jack the gathering up a notch when the choir goes to full volume on a Christmas carol with brass and timpani and a cymbal. Another level. Every time.

When Ka’anohi dances the whole world stops to watch (my wife, who has seen every one of our shows, STILL cries during that song).

Well done to all, a fitting conclusion to the journey we started so many months ago.

So now the pendulum swings the other way. After going home to slip into something more comfortable, the Blogmeisters headed for Yamas for dinner (mmmm…lamb…). Just about the time we were needing to refill our wine glasses following a yummy dose of spanakopita a 20-something couple sat at the table across from us.

And pulled out their phones.

And looked at their phones instead of each other.

They took a little break to order dinner and then…back to their phones. The only interaction we saw (as we sat there fascinated) was to comment about something one of them saw ON their phone. One of them was even idly eating a salad with one hand while watching the the phone held in the other.

!!

I was struck with the thought that this was a PERFECT example of why the arts are so desperately needed in our world. Everyone needs to be caught up in the beauty and wonder of choral music or orchestral music or jazz music or the theater or SOMETHING. It’s important. It binds together every age group and demographic. After seeing those two out on a (and I use the term loosely) date, the contrast between that and hundreds of smiling faces sharing the evening with us touched me in a deep way and I felt even more proud of what we’d done.

See you in January!