As you might imagine, the top event of the weekend for three boys does not involve buttoning up an oxford shirt, pulling on freshly-pressed khakis, and slipping into the dreaded loafers, only to have to sit still for 2+ hours while listening to music. “What will we do there, mom?” my second son asked. “Just sit and listen?”
Nonetheless…
This weekend, we did exactly that. This wasn’t a kid-oriented performance, either. We’ve been to those; they’re short, sweet, and aimed right at the kids. But Peter and the Wolf and Green Eggs and Ham are an entirely different scenario from a “real” night at the symphony. With babies crying in the next aisle over and kids passing goldfish around like trading cards, the kids’ productions don’t call for top-notch behavior. Sitting next to people who haven’t spend time with kids in decades changes the dynamic a bit!
We decided to risk the change in dynamics and took the boys along to Saturday night’s not-to-miss performance. Victor Vanacore, a Grammy winning composer, conductor, and pianist, who has worked with Ray Charles, The Jackson 5, Johnny Mathis, and Barry Manilow, brought his show of salsa and mambo music to our little corner of the world. He wowed us with his enthusiasm and energy. He inspired us with his dedication and excitement. He made us want to move to the Caribbean to hear more of this delightful sound.
We were banking on this delightfulness, of course. We hoped that by taking them to hear salsa and mambo, we’d up the odds of them actually enjoying the show, much more so than if we took them to a traditional night with straight-up classical tunes. It was the perfect opportunity to ease them in with something a little more uptempo and fun. Our youngest plays my old steel drum band CD endlessly, so we knew he’d like it. Our eldest loved it, too. He’s taken piano for years and is learning the drums at school, so he has a good deal of appreciation for just how much practice goes into getting those notes exactly right. Our second son pretty much just endured it, dropping his head to his hands every now and then, wondering when this was all going to end. Because we’re not above a little bribery, we indulged him with Sierra Mist and lifesavers at intermission. This simple act went a long way towards boosting his spirits and may have given us another chance at taking him again.
In the end, however, there was an entirely unexpected bonus to the night. As we watched Victor Vanacore play and lead and thoroughly enjoy himself, my eldest son remarked “I think he’s having the most fun of anyone here.” I think he was right. You couldn’t help but to be awed by this man’s verve. He loves his job, he loves his job, he loves his job. It was that evident. I’m fairly certain that given the choice to go back and do it all over again, he’d end up in exactly the same place.
The opportunity to see that lesson in practice–find your passion, follow your dream, develop your strengths–was priceless. Our boys didn’t have to listen to a lecture from us about the value of finding your passion. They saw it with their own eyes. We didn’t sit them down and say “Work hard boys. Follow your hearts and you will find your calling.” Nope. We didn’t have to say a thing. As our boys sat there watching and listening, they got to experience Victor Vanacore radiate love for his profession first-hand. They heard him talk about the early struggles and they heard him talk about winning a Grammy. And they watched him conduct and play with joy that was palpable. Thank you Mr. Vanacore. That lesson alone was worth every bit of cajoling it took to get the oxfords buttoned, the khakis worn, and the loafers on.
