From Erie Philharmonic Keyboardist Beth Etter
"I was there...the night the Erie Philharmonic played Star Wars."
I'm certain folks will be saying this in years to come. It was one of those nights, for all of us.
I'm in the orchestra. I know what I did to make sure my part was all it could be. But every single one of us did the same…and for Star Wars, it was a lot.
Musicians talk to each other in anticipation of the next show. Once in a while, it's a piece of cake. Star Wars, on the other hand, is masterful music from a living composer nearly everyone knows. If you are in the brass or woodwind section, you know it means serious chops and hours of extra practice. For all of us on stage, it means don't ever for one single second think about dinner or your trip home or your kids. Because if you do, for two or three bars, you will be lost and have a hard time getting back on.
For our maestro - responsible for keeping all of us on track, and inspiring us to soar or hush - and for making sure every single second corresponds with the movie exactly, the task is superhuman.
The whooshing wave of cheers, bravos, whistles and clapping we experienced after both shows is a sound we on the stage long for, and our audience craves too. Why? Because we all want something to take us beyond where we imagine we can be.
Music can do that. Last weekend, it did. It's possible even the stars heard us.
And smiled.