The new year is a great time to start new things... like a blog about a symphony orchestra. Through this forum, I hope to share some of my perspectives and thoughts on the fine music of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra and symphonic music in general. Like many active and potential members of a BSO concert audience, my "formal" knowledge of music is limited. I played piano and trombone (not very well) in high school and a bit of college and even dared to pick up a violin for about a year because I wanted to create the beautiful sounds of an orchestra myself - that didn't happen. What I can say I do very well is appreciate listening to music. I also love talking about it and love sharing my interest with others.
The new year is also a great time to make resolutions. It seems like every year I resolve to find more time for culture in my life, but this year I'm going to stick to it. Being a young and new member of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan community, I find that there are just so many opportunities! Going to the symphony more often is going to be right up there on the list next to "spend more time with friends and family" (this could actually happen) and "go to the gym three times a week" (this probably won't happen).
However, I'm going to add a twist to this resolution. I'm going to bring other people to the symphony, too. I think a lot of people have figured out that dinner and a few tickets to a classical concert makes for a great and special date night with the significant other, or a particularly classy night out with friends, but what about as a gift? A little while back, I was lying in bed thinking about all of the things I had to do the next day (and wasn't particularly looking forward to), one of which was to buy a present for that person-who-has-everything. It suddenly dawned on me that this friend of mine had been chatting with me earlier about how he wished he could take better advantage of cultural activities around town. How about a gift of two tickets to Verdi's Rigoletto, which was playing in a few weeks at our local performing arts center? I remembered how, knowing that I enjoyed classical music, a friend of mine had gotten me two tickets to Carmen and it was a great gift. My gift of tickets was a similar hit. A pair of tickets was not really that expensive (I think it was between $60 and $70 for both, about what I would normally pay for a nice gift for a good friend), and it was definitely a unique gift. My friend and his date really enjoyed the evening, and we had a good discussion about it after the fact.
If you happen to know a person's taste in composers or musical styles, even better - here is a chance to tell the person "I didn't just buy you a sweater, I actually thought about this!" Even if you don't know the person's taste, you are still telling them "I think you're a classy person who would enjoy a sophisticated night out." You're also helping the person set up a lovely date or evening with a significant other, which is surely appreciated.
Try it, and see if it helps you and your friends keep "go to the symphony more often" in the success column of your New Year's resolutions.
