The Power Of The Music Of The Night

As a life long music business professional, there are times when I find myself wrapped up in the world of numbers and logistics, contracts and riders, negotiations and crisis management. In reality, I also let the real reason I am in the performing arts industry – the power of music – slip by the wayside.

Recently I had a not so subtle reminder of why I got into the music business in the first place. I was witness to the undeniable power of music, or in this case, the power of the music of the night.

One would expect the most powerful musical experiences to happen in places like Carnegie Hall in New York, or the stage of The Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville, or The Fillmore in San Francisco. All are epic stages with a long history of delivering gifted artists and memorable shows.

However, in the backyard of a house in a quiet residential neighborhood in San Jose California, I became witness to an epic performance that was truly on par with the great stages of the world.

Nothing about this beautiful house would indicate it would be a stage for a world-class performance. There were no marquees, no ticket takers, no concession stands. The house itself was on a quiet street and blended well with the others on the block.

What was special about this house is that it was filled with a family full of love. Even better, the owners of the house were holding a wedding for their only daughter in their back yard. The backyard wedding was a gift of love from parents to their daughter, and their way of sending her out into the world and her own adult life.

The backyard was decorated in all it’s finest, the ceremony was lovely and the dinner was excellent. However, all of that was a prelude to what happened next. First there was the toast from the bridesmaid, followed by the best man, and then the father of the groom. Finally, the father of the bride stood up to speak and raised his glass to welcome the newlywed couple into their family. As a special gift from the parents of the bride to the newlyweds, he introduced a surprise in the form of a guest – Franc D’Ambrosio – better known as the Phantom of the Opera to millions from his national tour and long standing performance of The Phantom in San Francisco. The parents of the bride were giving the unique gift of song to the newlyweds to send them off in style.

You could have heard a pin drop as people realized that Franc D’Ambrosio was standing there in the backyard and singing to the wedding couple. His first selection was “Almost Like Being In Love” and by the time it was over, the stunned guests were at full attention. Franc transitioned into "Speak Softly Love (Love Theme From The Godfather)" and the place began to come unglued. No, not in a rowdy way, not in a thunderous ovation way, but something much deeper and powerful than that. The place was melting; it was the power of music. I witnessed crying, no, make that sobbing, from something deep within a person’s soul, that came out when Franc connected the family with his songs. It was wonderful and awe inspiring to witness this. Not just with the bride and her parents, but across the audience too. And when Franc segued into his medley from Phantom of the Opera including “Music Of The Night” – words cannot express the emotions that were conveyed from such a gesture of love from two caring parents to their only daughter. I have to admit, I sat there with tears in my eyes, and so did my wife Blythe too.

Dr. Karl Pullback, pianist and director of music division at The Boston Conservatory once said in his welcoming address to incoming students: “One of the first cultures to articulate how music really works were the ancient Greeks. And this is going to fascinate you: the Greeks said that music and astronomy were two sides of the same coin. Astronomy was seen as the study of relationships between observable, permanent, external objects, and music was seen as the study of relationships between invisible, internal, hidden objects. Music has a way of finding the big, invisible moving pieces inside our hearts and souls and helping us figure out the position of things inside us.”

That night in San Jose, in the backyard of a house in a quiet residential neighborhood – I was reminded powerfully of what the Greeks knew all along – the power of music is undeniable and wells from a place deep within our souls. It also reminded me of why I chose this profession in the first place, and how the greatest performances in life aren’t necessarily on a stage in a palatial theatre – but are sometimes found where you least expect them!

Here’s to the happy wedding couple – and to the bride’s parents for giving one of the best gifts a parent can ever give – the gift of jaw dropping, awe inspiring, soul stirring music. From the small epic stage in the back yard of a house in San Jose, I have been deeply reminded of why I spend my adult life in the music industry. I have witnessed the power of music, or in this case, the power of the music of the night.

Ed Bazel
CEO - Chief Entertainment Organizer
The Bazel Group, Inc.

PS - Here is a sample of what we heard that night!