Madeleina's Band Recital

Well, as a dad I am forced by nature to go to my daughter's band recitals. Just as I was forced to got to Italo and Marco's soccer games through high school.
But here's the thing: Madeleina's band, like Italo and Marco's soccer teams, is fantastic. When they play you think you are listening to the New York Philharmonic. No fooling. The band leader should be leading a symphony for a city somewhere, she's that good. And she's the 7th grade band leader. The 8th grade conductor has the flair for a real orchestra. His kids played an 8 minute piece called "The Duel of the Railroads," whose composer I forget, about an event in the civil war when the confederates got hold of a train and the northerners took a train to chase them. It was so clear, so wonderful at storytelling without a word being uttered, that I cannot believe that man is not conducting a genuine orchestra. But I don't mean to belittle the 8th graders. They were a professional, genuine orchestra. His moves were economical, theatrical, daring, on point. WOW!!! I love symphonic music--my mother made me listen to it for hours daily, particularly when I was sick with rheumatoid arthritis for a couple of years--and while I know nothing about it, I still turn on the classical stations periodically while driving just for the charge of hearing a full symphony work magic.
And tonight I heard that magic performed by 7th and 8th graders. Fantastic. I hope those band leaders, those conductors, get their chance. They deserve it.