Middle school orchestra concert

So it's been one of those days where you drive everywhere because your child forgot to tell you he needs a gift for an exchange at school TOMORROW--likewise, he needs a book on squids ASAP. And contrary to the weather forecast of an inch of snow, you wake up with at least double that, and a nice layer of ice underneath. Seriously, they DO  NOT PUT ANYTHING ON THE ROADS HERE. Just occasionally smooth it flat and slickery. It was a white knuckle driving day, and then my 7th grader had his end of semester orchestra concert. At the new high school, which is way on the edge of the other side of town, in an area I am completely unfamiliar with. The road was solid ice the whole way, and we drove past numerous accidents, one involving a truck that went completely off the road into the ditch by the railroad track. I'm glad I wasn't the tow truck trying to get that one out.

But. We did make it to the concert. Wow! It helped that the brand new auditorium was built as a community performing arts center as well. Really niiiiiice acoustics. And the orchestra? Wow. It was real music. Yes, they've only been playing for a couple years. But it was a couple years' worth of real. All those strings just sort of echo in your chest, like they get right inside you and speak to you. It's the first US school music concert I believe Frau Hirschmann, our German music teacher, would approve of. (She was serious about the music, let me tell you!) Really, really nice. So I'm glad we went (and even more glad that we are home safe. Of course, tomorrow my son has to be at school early, so I get to drive on the same roads again, then I get to teach art at the elementary school. After that, I don't want to drive anywhere until spring!)