Baltimore and Wilkes-Barre Concert Report. . . . .
A Dear Andre Letter

My Dear Andre,

So many times I have heard you say ...."perhaps we will meet again sometime in life, bye bye".  The first time I heard you say this I thought to myself - there must be another "sometime" and there has been.  When I saw your concerts in Baltimore and Wilkes-Barre I kept thinking of your words and realized that they had such a profound meaning and effect on me.  Whether or not there is another "sometime" depends not only on my getting to your concerts but it also depends on you coming to us.  So many things can happen in life and we tend to take everything for granted - even the fact that you will always be here in our country, in our town and in our lives. 

So as I walked into the arena and took the seat which was less than perfect this time, as I thrilled to the first notes of "76 Trombones" I thought I want to remember this moment.  I want to keep in my memory the look of you walking down the aisle resplendent in shiny tails, waving your bow, whistling to the music and sometimes high-fiveing those lucky enough to be in your path.  I want to remember the way you walk up those stairs which I always want to sit next to because I feel that is the closest I will get to you.  I hear you welcome us to a wonderful "night filled with music" and I think about you asking us to bring our hearts and you will bring yours and together we will be forever bound in a world that only those who know you can ever enter.  For you are music Andre;  you live, breathe and you are the music in my heart, in my life and in my soul.

I keep all your little chatter in my mind so that I can review it over and over.  You tell us that we are the best audience in the whole world but I know you say that  everywhere you go.  That is because you want everyone to feel special and that you are playing just for them.  And that is exactly what I feel dear Andre especially when you give me a glance every once in a while.  That short but sweet glance is so special to me and I can see this in my mind every time I remember.  They say that life is made of "Kodak Moments" and I have many of those.  I have a "life" moment of you in every turn, every move and every expression which comes from you.

I see you play the song  "Ben" and I will always remember the expressions and the true feelings you have in your heart for the person to which this song is dedicated.  I see the love of the music and the way you play your violin and I think even though this person may not have been my favorite entertainer, you had enough love and thoughtfulness in your heart to play this for him - and it is for him - not for me, but I get to share in your feelings and that is really special.

I watch you play "Marina" and dance around the floor and I can remember always the playfulness which I love in every concert.  You give us "America The Beautiful" and that brings a sense of pride and joy that your home country and my home country are united forever through music - for you are music Andre, you are the laughter and joy of music and all the things that you are you give to me, not just for this one evening but for as long as I live.  

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All around me the atmosphere is filled with the electricity of people singing, dancing and laughing.  You could not know this but as I drive to the concerts I look around at people going about their daily lives and I feel sorry for them because they probably do not know you.  I feel sorry that they will not be sharing in the happiness that I will this night.  The joy of dancing to "The Beautiful Blue Danube" during which you playfully glance at each dancer as if to say 'thank you for dancing for me'.  I am not a great dancer but my husband and I get up at every concert and try our best to dance just so you will not be disappointed if no one is able to dance that night.  But you always have the people so entranced that they cannot help but share in this happy moment in the concert.  Oh and the balloons, we know they are coming and when they do, like children, we play with them, some breaking them and others just hold them and take them home as they would a precious souvenir.

How can one not be happy as they watch your beloved JSO with the smiles and joyful ways they move around to the music.  And then when you think you have had all the laughter and happiness that you can possibly hold in your heart and soul, your beautiful Sopranos and wonderful Tenors fill me with even more as the waltzes and songs spill over me until I think that this certainly must be Heaven.  Then I think how on earth can I be this blessed as I know I will be when I leave the concert so filled with you and your music.  I feel sure it is the joining of our hearts to yours dear Andre and what you so freely give to each one of us.  When I hear you say once again "I wish you all the very best that life has to offer, especially music,"  I know that you mean this; and as you say "perhaps we will meet again sometime in life" I know that as long as there is Andre Rieu there will be another "sometime".

"Yours Forever"

Jeanine Ann

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