Last Monday, we had our class visit to a performance at Carnegie Hall. The performance was a celebration of Chinese culture, featuring colorful and unpredictable music and a talented ensemble. When the lights dimmed, the show began and the stage looked like it was miles away. It transformed into a different scene that became a part of the artists' performace.

The piano solo started the evening off with a bang, literally! The pianist put himself into the piece he was playing. His expressions and body movements were one with the melody. During the lighter more airy notes, I felt a sense of calm. But in the blink of an eye, that sense of calm turned into suspense. The music gradually became darker, louder, and more climactic. A story was unfolding. It had a calm beginning, suspenseful climax, and a restoration of peace at the end.

The violins, accompanied by the flutes, gave me chills with its high pitch and rapid tempo. It was like hearing the soundtrack to a scary movie. There was nowhere else to turn but in the direction of the stage. The music trapped the audience in a bubble.

My favorite part of the performance was at the end, the percussion instruments. I was so impressed by the gongs. The three men continued the rhythm without missing a single beat. They formed a complete circle. The continuous movement was so smooth and it best embodied what I thought of Chinese traditional music: elegant, enchanting, and dramatic.