Live from the kennedy Center

Hello,

No, I am not writing this live from the Kennedy Center so the title is a bit misleading, but I was at there last night for a performance of the National Symphony Orchestra. My friend Jenny, remember her from the Dupont Circle Museum Walk, told me about a way to get free tickets to events at the Kennedy Center so I signed up and was notified that I could go to the Symphony for free. Well, you can't beat that with a stick so I decided to go. The bonus was Jenny was going to be able to go also. The biggest problem was how to get to the Kennedy Center. It isn't a Metro stop so there would have to be a bus involved as well. I went on the Metro's Trip Planning website and it listed about 4 different ways I could get there. I chose the one that I thought would be the best and started off. Now, I do have to say that the route the Trip Planner gave me did get me to the Kennedy Center, but it involved a train, two buses, and a LONG wait in traffic. In fact, I was almost late. Yikes! Come to find out there was a MUCH easier way to get there! Gggrrrrrrr. Oh well, lesson learned.

As for the concert, Oh My Goodness! It was awesome! I am now a low to moderate groupie on the Official Groupie Scale (one being low and ten being high--yes, I did make this up but feel free to use it. I haven't copyrighted it.... yet :)) of an Estonian conductor I had never heard of before last night! The music was wonderful and there was a world famous percussionist, Dame Evelyn Glennis of whom I also have never heard, who did a wonderful solo using about 30 different instruments throughout one of the pieces. For me, though, the director made the entire evening. He conducted with such energy and personality that it made the concert a wonderful visual as well as auditory experience. He even led the orchestra in a bit of a jam session for the encore! Afterward, he and Dame Evelyn came out with a moderator/interviewer and they talked about the concert and answered questions. It was a great evening.

As I was leaving I decided to try the easier way that Jenny had told me about so I asked one of the guards which way to start out, and she pointed me in the right direction. Another person was asking the same question so we decided to walk together. Her name is Heidi, and she teaches dance at the University of Montana in Missoula. She was there to see a different program so we talked about what we saw as we walked. It was a beautiful evening in DC perfect for walking and there was actually a Metro station close enough to walk to! Not only that, but there is a free shuttle bus from that Metro station to the Kennedy Center!! Like I said, lesson learned!

Sorry no pictures this time!
Tami

P.S. The Groupie thing, well I am also about a 5 on the Groupie Scale for Graham Hamilton. He played Hamlet at the Folger and in the program he had a website listed so I looked it up and there was an email address. I sent him a short "great performance" email, and he emailed me back! I think that definitely rates at least a 5, don't you?? :)