The Symphony is a Way of Life

The auditorium is full of people conversing in the audience. On the stage the performers are shuffling their music and tuning their instruments as they prepare for the performance. The conductor enters, takes a bow, and all is silent. He raises his baton and the symphony begins to play.

All of the instruments have different sounds, and the parts they play blend and harmonize with one another. The music would not be as exciting if every part were the same. The symphony is a symbol for life, especially in a community. Diversity and the coming together of each instrument is what gives the symphony its unique and special sound. This is also true in life and the world we live in. Individuals bring in their own input that influences others.

Individuality is an important part of the symphony. Each player has his or her own part to perform. These parts can be played on their own but do not have the same effect as when they are combined with the other parts of the orchestra. They blend into a harmonious piece of music. In other words, you can hear what each person has to contribute and how each performer works together.

In life, each person has a talent that they are particularly good at. When they work together, it accentuates their talent. A surgeon can be very gifted but is more capable of saving a life if he has a team of medical personnel assisting him. When preparing for a concert, the musicians are reminded by their conductor to stagger their breathing. They can, of course, breathe when they need to but they have to try not to breathe at the same time as the person sitting next to them.

If everyone breathed at the same time, there would be a noticeable moment of silence in the song. This is yet another example that can be applied to life. People have to breathe when they need to breathe and to do what they want to do. They have to be an individual and know that someone will be there to cover for them.

The orchestra continues to play. It moves together as a group yet separately, with each person contributing their own part. Each musician is an active member of the symphony. We move together in life, contributing what we have to offer from day to day as active members in our community. The orchestra plays their last note and the song is over. There is a moment of silence that is broken by the applause of the audience.