Blood Sweat & Tears

Every year, our good friends Dr. Kai Chow and Reiko Niiya Chow invite us to be their guests at the annual Edison Pops @ Sunset Concert on the lawn of Edison College. Reiko is the Concertmaster for the Southwest Florida Symphony, and also plays in the Pops Orchestra. A violinist since childhood, Reiko is one of those women who are both poised yet strong, understated yet noticable. Perhaps it was her traditional upbringing in Japan that gives her such a timeless quality. On the 25th anniversary with the SWFS, I watched her play an extremely difficult Tchaikovsky piece for nearly 45 minutes. Having known her personally now for a number of years, it is a true honor to see her talent unfold on stage.

Even though Reiko plays with the greats at the Ford Theatre, she still knows how to have fun with her music. This night, she accompanied Blood Sweat and Tears through the sixties and seventies as crowds danced in the rain on the lawn. The annual fundraiser is a time where my husband and I get to share an evening with the Chows and their friends listening to music and sharing a great meal. We enjoyed Reiko's lasagna and Gene's recent attempt at fried chicken, along with the flow of some vino.

At the table this year, myself, Gene and Taryn; Kai; his son Michael and girlfriend; Kai's longtime office assistant and her husband; and the notable Michael Hall, Music Director and Conductor of the Symphony. Maestro Michael just made the permanent move to Fort Myers after commuting for the past couple years since his induction with the Symphony. Highlights of the evening included seeing the Chows' unofficially adopted son David Song play with the orchestra on a visit from Stetson; running into artist Jim Ferrari and his wife as well as Steve and Lou Pontius (a fellow Chi Omega Advisor); and dancing the final song, Spinning Wheel, with my tennis partner, Gina, and a few of my crazy teammates.

I love the cultural side of Fort Myers.