The snow storm stopped the life of the city almost completely. In those days we lived in walking distance of Philadelphia’s Academy of Music and often sat “up in heaven,” trudging the many levels up to the amphitheatre, known for having the hall’s best acoustic sound, and most significantly, $4 pricing. Below, like tiny specs of awe, would be the most extraordinary conductors and musicians Western civilization had to offer. A surprise came with the stark snowy day, the ticket attendant broke with her usual ritual of a nod upon my arrival.
