The Lux Aeterna at the Walt Disney Concert Hall

And some fun facts you can tell your friends on your next visit…

I recently attended an AMAZING concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. I had always wanted to go here, well, since I technically work for Disney, so it was one of the last places I had left to explore that technically had the Disney name on it.

Within the past year, we’ve been trying to hit every significant place that Walt Disney the man as well as the company he founded has created or touched. We’ve been to almost every single Disney park in the world, almost every single cruise, his home in Marceline, Missouri, and now are on our way to Chicago to go visit his birthplace. It’s been quite a journey.

Everyone always suggests that we travel as much as possible after getting married, so that’s exactly what we’ve been doing.

But this time, this was close to home, so it was an easy drive!

I happen to be a HUGE fan of classical music, having been classically trained in piano since I was 9 years old. It’s always had a special place in my heart. IN fact, my piano teacher, Edward Francis, had such a huge impact on my life that we invited him to our wedding because he instilled such a love of music in my soul that I carry with me to this day. What a gift he gave!

Quick Walt Disney Concert Hall Facts:

• The carpet pattern of the floor is called the Lillian Pattern named after Walt’s wife Lilly and covers the entire building as well as the chairs in the actual auditorium space. Tulips were her favorite flower, so if you look closely, the pattern is upside-down tulip petals.
• If you ever get the chance to go to the Walt Disney Concert Hall, you’ll notice pretty quickly that there’s no signage. They wanted it to be as sign free as possible so the only place you’ll see indications of which room you’re in is actually on the floor.
• It’s a custom font that was designed for the building.
• There are 22,000 panels of stainless steel that cover the outside of the building. They’ve actually had to dull the shiny-ness because the reflection off the building literally raised the temperature in the surrounding buildings.
• The walls are much thicker in some of the big open chambers with small perforations made to allow the sound to die and decrease the amount of echo reverberations.
• Most of the wood is derived from Douglas Fir and gives that warm glow and atmosphere all throughout the inside of the hall.
• The Los Angeles Master Chorale is 1 of 3 resident performing groups.

Needless to say, the concert hall was made by artists and dreamers. If you look at the outside, the building shape itself stirs different emotions. Some people are repulsed by it while others see sails from boats amongst the sea of Los Angeles concrete. The point is that it moves you. And the people who play there are also artists and dreamers themselves.

The “Lux Aeterna” itself means “eternal light” and was meant to be a “meditation on illumination” and how light affects us and our world. It was one of the most renowned works of the late 20th century created by legendary American composer, Morten Lauridsen. It originally premiered in 1997 LA and this was the 1st time it was coming back to Los Angeles in 20 years. So it was a very special occasion. Special enough that Morten Lauridsen himself WAS THERE in person!

He gave a special talk beforehand and told of his composing process and how he used to imagine one of his pieces being played by the famous illustrious Los Angeles Master Chorale since he was a little boy and that he never imagined one of his pieces actually being played by them one day, let alone across the globe.

I had looked up the song on YouTube before going just to know what I was getting myself into, and needless to say, I was already taken high aloft the world through its ethereal notes and ephemeral musical phrases that give you a glimpse of heaven.

Call To Action

I’ve been learning a lot from different mentors and they all keep saying one common thing to help you grow as a human being:

Go out and experience new things. They’ll give you a new paradigm and expose you to the breadth of human creativity and capability.

This is just one example of how music is something that has so much range and has the power to move you and make you soar while just sitting in your chair. Close your eyes and let your mind wander as you listen to this beautiful work of art called “The Lux Aeterna” which might just be one of your new favorite songs if you let it touch your heart.

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