There aren’t too many times in my life where I’ve felt completely overwhelmed and engulfed by a live music environment. When those times hit and the goosebumps don’t go away, I remember why I started playing music in the first place. A couple of years ago my wife, Amy, got us tickets to see Philip Glass: A Retrospective to celebrate his 70th birthday at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center here in Nashville. We were very excited to see a group of musicians play some Philip Glass music. When we arrived at the symphony hall, we had no idea what was in store for us. It turns out that it wasn’t just a “group of musicians” that were to play, but Philip himself and his original ensemble. I can’t explain the feelings that coursed through me that night as I swam inside of every detail. I felt nervous, full of anxiety, incredibly happy, and incredibly sad as I was lulled in and out of twisting arpeggios. You don’t so much listen to Philip and his ensemble as you perhaps live inside of their cacophony of life. It was one of my favorite experiences that I’ve encountered in my life. Period.
Thanks, Philip for all of the inspiration and thank you Amy for giving me the experience
Also, be sure to check out Glass: A Portrait of Philip in Twelve Parts. You can stream it on Netflix if you so desire.
Charlie
I have twice been lucky enough to have seen the movie Koyaanisqatsi with the Philip Glass ensemble performing the score live.