On the sixth of August 2016, my family and I got the opportunity to see Josh Groban in concert. Sarah McLachlan was also there. It was such an awesome experience to see people that I grew up listening to in the car on road trips live in concert. My brothers also loved the fact that Groban had a live orchestra accompany him (they are huge band geeks!) He sang many songs from his new album Stages, which is a Broadway album. I am a theater nerd, so I loved hearing so many theater-based songs in one concert.
He also sang many songs from his previous albums. A lot of them were in different languages such as French, Spanish and Italian. I have sung songs in German, Spanish and Italian for choir in college, so I know how hard it is to get pronunciations just right. I really appreciated the depth of feeling those songs seemed to have.
I have a lot of favorite songs by Josh Groban, but one of my new favorites is a song called 'Dust and Ashes' from the upcoming Broadway show Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812, in which Groban will sing the role of Pierre. In the song, Pierre is going through a life crisis, wondering if his life is worth living. The show is adapted from Volume 2 Part 8 of War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy. The show will debut on the Great White Way later this year!
Hearing Sarah McLachlan sing was also a treat. I have always loved listening to her music. Her music has helped me through some hard times in my life. My favorite song of hers is Angel. There is something in the message of that song that really touches me.
Throughout the night, both McLachlan and Groban engaged the audience and Groban had people accompany him on various instruments. Apart from the orchestra, there was a choir and trumpet player. He also talked a lot about keeping the arts in schools; he said that the arts teachers he had in high school really inspired him to go after his passions.
Even in college, I have professors that encourage me to do the same. They tell me that if I have patience and faith, I will soar.
Having never been to a concert before (at least not one of that size), I didn't know what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, though! The whole night was awesome, inspiring and great family fun! I'm so grateful to have parents that take my brothers and me to events like this, encourage my brothers and me to support each other in our various endeavors, and to go after our dreams... without them we wouldn't be where we are today. This will definitely be a night I will never forget!
