Pacific Symphony's "The Greatest Generation"

This year's Pacific Symphony American Composer's Festival is all about the greatest generation, penned by Tom Brokaw so we thought weíd come to New York City and see what he thought about it.
The greatest generation is those Americans who came of age in the great depression and learned the real meaning of sacrifice and common cause and working together they went without more than they had anything and just when they were beginning to emerge from that their country asked them to go to war.
And go to war they did. And amidst the dark poverty of the depression and a world at war, legendary music was written both in response to the pain and as a means to distract
Whenever you hear glen miller, or any Frank Sinatra in the early days or of Joel Safford any of the great artists of that time, it immediately evokes that time because there was great art that came out of the greatest generation Ö
To honor these contributions the pacific symphony and pacific chorale will honor the greatest generation with instruments and voice including a special world premiere piece inspired by Mt Rushmore which is located in Brokawís home state of South Dakota
This concert is not just a tribute to that generation but it is a way to bind together generations because music transcends age.
In our current circumstances when times are touch and people are looking for answers
There are no better lessons than our parents or our grandparents who went through it in a much more difficult time
One of the defining values of that generation is that they were thrifty. My mother, if I go see her in Orange County she lives in Laguna Woods if I take something over from Trader Joes she wants to know how much everything that bag costs and then if she bought something for our lunch, she tells me how much it is. And sheís always proud of how much money sheís saved on what was really a very very modest income.
Brokawís books the Greatest Generation and BOOM, Voices of the Sixties document not only his parentís stories but many of their time and share the challenges and triumphs and provide inspiration for our time. AND he thinks weíre beginning to listen.
People are saying you know weíre all at fault here we all got carried away. It doesnít mean weíre going to go back and live in log cabins with an outhouse weíll continue to live well but I think there has been a kind of welcome opportunity now in this adversity to find a path for the rest of their lives.
You get through difficult times by doing the right thing.
The Pacific Symphony will bring us a little bit of the greatest generation this weekend the lessons learned and the art. Iím Jennie O'Hagan for OCNewsChannel.com.

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