By no means, am I an expert on the symphony.  I wasn’t in band and grew up as a child of rock and roll.  With that said, along the way good rock and roll taught me to appreciate and enjoy the symphony.  I remember locking myself in my bedroom in high school to listen to the symphony on Iowa Public Radio.  I’m not exactly sure how common it is for a 15 year old to hide out in her room listening to public radio, but I was one of them.  What can I say, I was a rebel.  Looking back, I don’t know exactly why I kept my enjoyment of the symphony quiet, perhaps I wanted it to be something just for me to enjoy and not worry about explaining it to others.

Twenty years later, I am no longer hiding my enjoyment of the symphony.   In fact, I am sharing my love of great music with my six year-old daughter.   We had the pleasure of attending last fall’s Masterworks 3: Beyond the Score-The Planets-Other Worlds? performed by the Des Moines Symphony.  It was a beautiful performance.

Maestro Joseph Giunta led the symphony.  Actors Stephen Yoakam and Roger Mueller narrated the first half of the program, while photographs of planets were splashed on a large screen.  The Drake Chorus even joined in on the fun.   This piece of work is unlike many others I’ve seen, landing itself to being half play, half concert.   This was certainly the perfect performance to take my novice symphony going self.  Even better, it held my little one’s attention. 

This article was written by DMMC contributor Sandra Thompson. Interested in contributing to this website? Contact us!