Day 29: Concert in Sonoma and Tears

Sonoma State University is home to the beautiful Weill Hall, where we performed in tonight. Though similar in appearance to Tanglewood's Ozawa Hall, the sound was much more crisper and bright.

Even though this wasn't our last concert, the emotions were already so overwhelming. During the Great Gates of Kiev, memories of the time we spent together flashed before my eyes, lighting them up but leaving them blurry with tears.

These 120 musicians have become my family - we've eaten all our meals together, we've sat through long bus rides together, and we've rehearsed for many hours together. We've spent every second with one another, whether we like it or not. We've shared many moments of laughter, tears, and intense musical concentration. So by the time we finished the stirring last chords of Great Gates, I look over with blurry tears and see Soyeong sobbing. She was completely overwhelm with emotion. Alexi leaned over to give her a hug, and I could see all the other members of the orchestra wanting to do the same.

After the concert, even a kind audience member went up to Soyeong and offered her a tissue!

Seeing all my friends together on stage melts my heart. During concerts, I glance back and see my friends Tyler and Karen, all the way back in the percussion section, standing tall and proud during applause. I see my dear bassoonist friends Cooper and Reuben wiggling their eyebrows in a dance during a quick switch between pieces. I look at my wonderful cello section nodding and smiling happily after a job well done in the first half. And as a result, my eyes always blur with tears of happiness.

Now that our final concert is imminent, all I can wonder is: how can we possibly get through Disney Hall without flooding the stage with tears?