Stopping For Beauty

"(Bell) does nothing less than tell human beings why they bother to live." -Interview magazine

Last summer, we saw the Utah Symphony perform at Deer Valley. Jessica sat on our quilt perusing the program. Suddenly she was convulsing as she stared at the opened pages. Either she was suffering from appendicitis, or something exciting was in that program. She pointed to an ad announcing that Joshua Bell would be performing at BYU in the fall. "MOM, WE HAVE TO GO TO THIS!" were the words coming from her semi-hyperventilating throat.

Fast forward to a month ago, when Jessica reminded me that tickets would be going on sale the next Tuesday. No, she had not forgotten. I couldn't find pricing for said tickets anywhere, but I knew they would not be cheap. This guy demands ticket prices of $100.00 easily at most venues. By now, she had her brother and sister as accomplices for this plot of hers. I asked, "And how pray tell, do you think we are going to come up with the money for these alleged tickets?" Jessica immediately offered to buy her own ticket. Sabrina and Spencer chimed in that they would be willing to give up their allowance for the rest of the year to pay for their tickets. Neil and I agreed to give up our measly allowances as well. Somehow, I was able to get on the web before the concert sold out and secured us five seats to the Joshua Bell concert. Last night was the big night.

Yes, Jonah stayed home with Mor Mor and Grandpa, much to his elation, and ours. As I contemplated purchasing a pricey ticket for this fidgety ten year old, I had a horrific flashback to the first symphony we ever took Jonah to. He was finally old enough to attend such an event. I was thrilled not to have to get a babysitter. The New American Symphony was performing at Weber State, and Dr. Wang would be the guest violinist. I talked the whole thing up to Jonah. I reminded him how cool it was for him to be able to hear real orchestra music like his siblings had been for the last few years. We had secured some pretty good seats, so we were awfully close to front and center in this intimate concert hall. The lights were turned down, a hush filled the room, and the symphony began its first melodic notes. At which point Jonah belted in absolute despair, "OH NO, THIS IS GOING TO BE BORING!" Suffice it to say, that was a long night. We could afford no such explosions last night.

The long trek through traffic to the BYU campus, not to mention that small fortune we scrounged up to attend the concert, were absolutely worth it. They call Joshua Bell, the "poet of the violin", and what he played last night was sheer poetry. To be that phenomenal at anything is beyond my understanding. I suppose few of us are willing to give a lifetime of study and practice to become what he has become. As he ended his beautiful Beethoven sonata and left the stage, for intermission, sweat dripping from his black hair, Sabrina gazed longingly at this photo, 

and asked, "Is he single? Because he is one nice looking violinist!" 

I am reminded of a bishop who had been a high school athlete, and said to me one day, "You know, I always thought girls liked guys who could play sports, but I have since learned that they like a man who can sing." And I would add, play the violin, or the cello, or the piano. Sabrina was swooning, as have countless other women at Mr. Bell's concerts. I told her that I was pretty sure he wasn't married to anyone but his 300 year old Strad. She gave a quiet sigh.

Bell dazzled us with his final number...Stravinsky's The Fairy Kiss. Stravinsky is intense, and so is Joshua Bell. The whole thing brought the entire room to our feet. Naturally, we called him back for an encore, and applauded him onto the stage three more times after the encore. It was great!

As we stood in an hour line, waiting for autographs, I was reminded of one of my favorite articles. The Washington Post did an experiment six years ago. Joshua Bell went incognito into the L'Enfant metro station in Washington D.C., posing as a simple street performer, and played for 45 minutes on his 4 million dollar Strad. This violinist who often makes $1,000.00 an hour for performing, gave over a thousand people a free concert in the subway station that day. He asked for nothing more than what cash they were willing to throw into his open case. What happened was fascinating and telling. Read all about it here:

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html

I will ask you what I asked myself as I read this article. If during your normal routine you happened across a world-renowned violinist playing one of the most beautiful pieces ever written on one of the most beautiful violins ever made, would you stop? Would you listen? Would you take time for beauty? 

I'm pretty sure that these three kids would stop and probably drop what remained of their tiny allowances into the gentleman's empty case. And I'm pretty sure that I would to.

But for now, we are stripped of anymore funds. There will be no more symphonies for this family. The well has run dry. But I suppose we'll be working financial miracles again in a few months, because you see the Utah Symphony is performing Dvorak's Ninth in March, and according to my three children, "WE HAVE TO GO TO THIS!" If you wish to send any cash to the Watson Fund, please feel free to do so. The proceeds go to a good cause, namely the appeasing of the voracious musical appetites of at least three string-crazed children.