A friend just told us that the LA Philharmonic rehearses for their concerts at the Hollywood Bowl the morning of the performance–and anyone can go in and listen for free! So we packed up a lunch and a bunch of snacks, grabbed some journals and colored pencils, and drove down to Hollywood this morning to hear The Planets. Despite the sun and heat (it was 96 by the time we left), an outdoor auditorium is the perfect place to introduce small children to real classical music. The big kids colored in their journals until our friends the Grovemans joined us, and even Janie kept relatively quiet because I kept giving her new, fun foods to play with. It was the girls’ first exposure to live orchestral music (though, as they told me on the way down, they know what it means to practice for a concert because they’ve heard Grandpa practicing his oboe). I took one picture of Susie entranced by the performers before a staff member came over and told me pictures are not allowed. So instead, here are the big kids at home, with their new journals about the rehearsal!
All in all, a great California field trip. We’ll definitely have to remember this for next season!