DENVER - “The heart works in mysterious ways,” I heard myself say. I sat, staring out my office window as the aspen trees worked through their colorful seasonal cycle. It was the last Friday in September and I prepared myself for a two-hour...
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Right: Excitement grew as Hans Zimmer fans approached the Ball Arena entrance shortly after sunset.
Dramatic expressions
Left: Special effects help evoke the audience’s emotional participation during the Hans Zimmer concert at Ball Arena.
DENVER - “The heart works in mysterious ways,” I heard myself say. I sat, staring out my office window as the aspen trees worked through their colorful seasonal cycle. It was the last Friday in September and I prepared myself for a two-hour journey from my cabin to Denver.
My mind weighed with the endless decisions I had made and hadn’t made. Above all, I carried a sense of fear within the confines of my emotional walls. For many years, I conditioned my heart to avoid vulnerability, making it challenging to embrace my current situation.
After a 70-mile drive, filled with questions and self-reflection, I reached Ball Arena, once known as Pepsi Center. Most people know it as the home of the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche.
The arena boasts more than 250 yearly events, including sports and concerts. The 45-acre Ball Arena’s history began on November 20, 1997. It opened on October 1, 1999. The structure is 675,000 square feet distributed across five levels, seating upwards of 20,000 during concerts.
This particular evening included yours truly, forgetting about the anxiety generally triggered by large crowds. By 8 p.m., the lights dimmed and I inhaled. The crowd expressed their excitement as German film score composer Hans Zimmer and fellow musicians took the stage.
I looked around and saw so many smiling faces. That alone was worth the trip. Song after song, I observed the audience watching, captivated by the passion radiating from the musicians on stage.
I couldn’t help but feel the audience’s emotions, opening themselves up to one of the greatest musical love affairs they’ve possibly ever experienced. I craved to be as vulnerable as they were. Bravely, I closed my eyes. I slowly opened my heart to the music and everyone around me.
The sense of fear resurfaced but somehow I overcame all obstacles. My heart felt liberated, beating with every strum of guitars, pounding with the strike of every drum. My spirit rose with the sounds of a piano and flute. Forget what happened when Lisa Gerrard began singing “Now We Are Free” from the movie “Gladiator.”
It was remarkable. By the time the concert ended, I was celebrating the power of music and my newfound ability to embrace vulnerability. Yes, the heart does work in mysterious ways, if you let it.
Ball Arena is located at 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver. You can find them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ball.arena.denver or call them at 303-405-1100.
