Daddy-Daughter Date: The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

I recently attended the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra to witness magic. Atlanta Falcons Offensive Guard, Justin Blalock was the host and guest conductor for the Orchestra’s Side-By-Side Summer Concert of Student and Professional Musicians. He lead the combined orchestras in John Williams' popular “Raiders March” from the Indiana Jones films to conclude the show.

From the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra: In addition to this new partnership with the Atlanta Symphony, Mr. Blalock will continue to grow his work with The Justin Blalock Foundation, which targets students, ages 11-18, in the Greater Dallas and Greater Atlanta areas who participate in sports. The Foundation uses athletics and education as tools and motivators to strengthen family relationships, and create a new generation of successful student athletes and future role models in the community.

If you are a reader of this blog, you know I take my daughter out on Daddy-Daughter dates. This time around, my daughter and I got dressed up and hit the town on a balmy June evening in my own efforts to strengthen her background in music and to remind myself of the majesty that is classical music. I was transported back to when I was her age, listening to the strings, hearing the brasses chime in, jumping from fright as I was never prepared for the thunderous roar of the percussion instruments. To put all those instruments and people (both young and aspiring and professional and accomplished) together to produce music nearly brought my heart to tears.

What I forgot was how much I initially hated the experience myself.