The Dreamer's Pen

This upcoming weekend, I’ll be playing with the Tacoma Youth Symphony again, and I couldn’t be more excited! No, I’m not the soloist, let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I mean, I’m a violist, remember? We live in the middle of the orchestra, adding warmth, depth, and a touch of existential mystery to the music.

What makes this concert even more special is that I get to play under Dale Johnson, my all-time favorite conductor. Dale is one of the kindest, most passionate conductors I’ve ever had the privilege of working with. His passion for music is contagious, and I always got a kick out of the way he addressed the viola section:

“Veee-ohhhhhhhh-laaahs…”

I can still hear it.

And as if that weren’t exciting enough, we’ll be playing English Folk Song Suite by Ralph Vaughan Williams, which is pretty much a dream come true for me. The way Vaughan Williams captures the charm and soul of English folk melodies is nothing short of brilliant, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to bring this music to life with such an incredible orchestra.