That said, I’m so thrilled my mother pushed me into band, because reading and appreciating music is perhaps one of the greatest gifts I’ve been given. So of course I said yes when my dear friend Elizabeth Porterfield invited me to last night’s Opening Night Celebration for the Dallas Wind Symphony at the Meyerson Symphony Center. She and her husband Eric were chairs of last night’s event, and he, like me, was a band geek.

Last night was the first time I’ve seen or heard the DWS, and what a treat it was. The evening’s main event was the performance of “Carmina Burana,” with special guest artists Angela Turner Wilson, Jeffrey Jones-Ragona, David Small,  the Schola Cantorum of Texas, the Meadows Chorale, the University of North Texas A Cappella Choir, the University of North Texas Chamber Choir, and the Texas Boys Choir. To say I got chills is accurate, if a bit clichéd. Artistic director Jerry Junkin is a joy to watch, and apparently our wind symphony is so good that it’s one of only a couple in the country that actually pays its musicians. The other wind symphonies, even in major markets, consider it a volunteer gig. Oh, and if you’re wondering what a wind band is, think of it as a symphony without the strings.

I posed the question last night about season tickets, and the answer I got was even the “fanciest” of season ticket packages is only  $400. I just looked on the web site to confirm, but I couldn’t seem to find what I was looking for. So anyone with more knowledge than I have should comment here about what it takes to be a DWS subscriber. You won’t regret it.