I am
a lover of all things Grand Rapids. One of the main reasons for my love of Grand
Rapids is because of how lucky we are to be surrounded by people who come
together to create a community of opportunities. One such opportunity is a membership in
MySymphony360. MySymphony360 is an
engagement group for young professionals offering discounted tickets, backstage
passes, networking, and meet and greets with musicians.
If
someone told me two years ago that one of my favorite week-end activities would
be attending the symphony, I would have laughed, I mean you are talking about someone
who has never been able to clap to the beat.
Last January, the symphony arranged for the members of MySympony360 to attend a
pre-concert meet and greet with three of the musicians before the Inspired by
Wagner concert. One of the coolest
aspects of this event was that it took place on the stage. Intimate
conversation flowed between the musicians and event participants and you could
hear the excitement in the musician’s voices as they described the music and
gave advice of how to further use your senses to engage with the performance.
One of the best parts was the surreal experience of standing on the conductors
stand, looking out both at the empty stage where the symphony members would
soon sit and out in the opposite direction at the empty arena that would be
filled with the concertgoers.
We
are lucky in Grand Rapids, lucky to have the support of the community when it
comes to sustaining the arts. It makes
us a smarter and more well-rounded community. I want to challenge the young
professionals of this community to take advantage of the opportunities we are
offered through MySymphony360.
Kelli
Jo Peltier has been a MySymphony 360 member since 2014. She is proud to be part
of an organization that is part of the Grand Rapids Symphony, which she feels
is an asset to our community. She has an undergraduate Business and Communications Degree and
Masters in Management from Aquinas College.