JT at Tanglewood

My husband and I, along with 22,000 fans, just attended a fabulous James Taylor concert at Tanglewood, the music festival in the Berkshires which is the summer home to the Boston Symphony Orchestra. The tickets were Bill’s birthday gift from the kids. The concert opened with JT playing with subtle and tasteful backup from a large band, including sax and trumpet, drums and percussion, and more, as well as 4 and occasionally 5 (his wife, Kim) backup singers. T is such a generous and relaxed performer. He clearly had a wonderful time. He spent the entire intermission signing autographs at the edge of the stage. It was a very blissful and feel good first set and I could have gone home after that totally fulfilled. Second set included several very sweet duets with Yo-Yo Ma accompanying JT. Then, more! with Yo-Yo Ma and both JT and Sheryl Crow who surprised me with her thoughtful song called  Wildflower. Although I find her to be a bit of screechy singer, the melodic beauty of the song, accompaniment and the lyrics really has made me an admirer. The end of the concert got a bit loud for me and we left before it was over, listening to the final songs float out over the beautiful Tanglewood grounds and through the fields as we escaped before the crowds for our long drive home. Here is a nice review of the concert on Friday night and another.

Great gift, boys! Next year you come with us!

The post-script is that today I read that he is donating his take for his 5 nights of concerts back to Tanglewood- a whopping $500,000 to support classical music and the music festival. What a guy.

(photo by Hillary Scott, from BerkshireFineArts.com)

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The Woman Behind the Man

 

Recently, my mother-in-law sent me a link to a TED talk. First of all, Martha is 87 years old, second of all she emailed a link, WOW, and most importantly, it was a relevant and inspiring link to a great talk by Benjamin Zander, conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. And so, if you are someone who loves classical music, it’s a wonderful reminder of why you do. And, if you are someone who doesn’t give much attention to classical music, I am certain that by the end of this 20 minute talk/performance you will be transported and transformed. 

I was very fascinated by Zander’s language and  thought processes. He was funny, articulate and really spoke to my passion for music and life. I was curious about who he is. I thought that perhaps he was a graduate of Landmark Education AND HE IS. I also found his wife, Rosamund Zander, who is as cool as he is! In her words, her work is, in all its capacities, about growth. Her writing, teaching, and coaching creates pathways to lives that are authentic and meaningful. She has written a book: The Art of Possibility with her husband using uplifting stories, parables and personal anecdotes. I haven’t even read or listened to this and I’m inspired to become a passionate communicator whose life radiates Possibility into the world. The audio CD has musical examples. I’m getting that because Benjamin Zander’s musical commentary in his TED presentation was hilarious. He really made very good life points using music as his examples.

What is it that kindles your life passion? Can you find that pizzazz, that excitement, that shining-eyed wonder day to day, moment to moment? Let this video remind you.