Yesterday, had the pleasure of attending a lecture at the Eastman School of Music given by opera director Francesca Zambello.

Ms Zambello had a lot of insights into opera, opera productions and the business of opera and the arts. But, I kept coming back in my mind to her opening remarks, which pointed out that music is a deeply emotional experience that we mainly experience communally with complete strangers.

Sometimes, that isn’t true, such as when we pull up music we want on a CD or I-pod. But, there is something different about music we experience with others.When I’m listing to Met Opera Radio, I know that other people are “with me” in a way that isn’t there when I just pull up my favorite Turandot to listen to. That feeling is even more intense when it’s a live

radio broadcast I’m listening to with thousands of people all over the world on a Saturday afternoon.

And when I attend Live in HD its great to be in the corner of the theater having that intense emotional experience “alone”. But there is something special about knowing there are other people in the dark also reaching for their Kleenexes, not just there in that theater, but across the globe!

As much as I go one about being anti-social, I guess opera really isn’t. Because, even when you are alone, you still are in a way joined with the thousands of people across possibly hundreds of years that have experienced and loved that music and story.

Remember, you’re never alone!