"The Symphony is a Way of Life"

The auditorium is full of people conversing in the audience. On the stage the performers are shuffling their music and tuning their instruments as they prepare for the performance. The conductor enters, takes a bow, and all is silent. He raises his baton and the symphony begins to play. All of the instruments have different sounds, and the parts they play blend and harmonize with one another. The music would not be as exciting if every part were the same. The symphony is a symbol for life, especially in a community. Diversity and the coming together of each instrument is what gives the symphony its unique and special sound. This is also true in life and the world we live in. Individuals bring in their own input that influences others.

A symphony orchestra is composed of a variety of brass, woodwind, percussion and stringed instruments. Each of these instruments has its own unique sound but when played together they complement each other. Like a symphony and its instruments, the world is composed of many races and cultures. They are uniquely different but can have an influence on each other even if it is not intentional. If you are walking down the street, for example, and move out of the way so as not to bump into someone, they are influencing your actions when you move inside.

Individuality is an important part of the symphony. Each player has his or her own part to perform. These parts can be played on their own but do not have the same effect as when they are combined with the other parts of the orchestra. They blend into a harmonious piece of music. In other words, you can hear what each person has to contribute and how each performer works together. In life, each person has a talent that they are particularly good at. When they work together, it accentuates their talent. A surgeon can be very gifted but is more capable of saving a life if he has a team of medical personnel assisting him.

In an essay called "The Gospel of Wealth," Andrew Carnegie discussed his views on wealth, the public good, and individualism. He described individualism as "a nobler ideal that man should labor, not for himself alone, but in and for a brotherhood of his fellows, and share with them all in common." Carnegie felt that individuality was important, but should not be taken so far that it separates everyone from each other. Each person should contribute their own ideas that better help the community as a whole.

Another similarity between life and the symphony is that a performer may not always have the melody but will accompany someone who does. Or in another case, a performer will not always have a solo and the chance to be in the spotlight. In life, everybody has their moments of glory although they may go unnoticed like the accompanist. This does not mean, however, that they are any less important than anyone else. The melody does not stay with one instrument for the whole song but moves throughout the orchestra. As in life, everyone eventually has their moment to shine and their chance to be in the spotlight.

When preparing for a concert, the musicians are reminded by their conductor to stagger their breathing. They can, of course, breathe when they need to but they have to try not to breathe at the same time as the person sitting next to them. If everyone breathed at the same time, there would be a noticeable moment of silence in the song. This is yet another example that can be applied to life. People have to breathe when they need to breathe and to do what they want to do. They have to be an individual and know that someone will be there to cover for them.

The orchestra continues to play. It moves together as a group yet separately, with each person contributing their own part. Each musician is an active member of the symphony. We more together in life, contributing what we have to offer from day to day as active members in our community. The orchestra plays their last note and the song is over. There is a moment of silence that is broken by the applause of the audience.

觀眾席上，觀眾都在相互交談著;舞臺上，表演者正在為演出做好調試樂器和設備的準備。指揮上臺，鞠了一個躬，頓時全場鴉雀無聲。他舉起指揮棒，交響樂開始演奏了。所有的樂器都有不同的聲音，樂器的各個部件演奏著，聲音彼此混合，卻又協調。如果樂器的每一個部件都是一樣的，那么音樂就有可能令人乏味。交響樂是生命的一種符號,在團體中尤其如此。每種樂器的差異性混合在一起，使得交響樂的聲音具有唯一和獨特性，我們的生命和我們生活的這個世界都是如此。每個個體帶來各自的不同，而這些不同又影響著其他個體。

交響樂隊是由許多不同的銅樂器，木管樂器，打擊樂器，弦樂器組成。每種樂器都具有它們各自特有的聲音，但是當它們一起演奏的時候，他們卻又彼此互為補充，類似于交響樂和交響樂器。這個世界也是由許多種族和社會構成的，它們是唯一的和不同的，但是卻又無意間彼此相互影響著。例如，當你正在街道上散步，為了不撞上某個人，你繞過他們，其實當你移動的時候，他們正在影響你的行為。

每個人都是交響樂中重要的一部分。每個演奏者都有各自需要演奏的部分，這些部分，他們能夠單獨演奏，但是當他們同其他樂手合奏時，卻有著不同的效果。混合在一起，能成為音樂中和諧的部分。換句話說，你能夠聽見每個人做了什么貢獻，也知道每個演奏者是這樣一起工作的。在生命中，每個人也有他自己擅長的本領。當他們在一起工作時。更能夠強化他的強項。一個外科醫生可能很有天賦，但如果讓他加入一個醫療小組，而且有人協助他的情況下，他會更有能力拯救他人的生命。

在一篇名為《健康圣經》的散文中, 安德魯.卡耐基研究過他對財富、公共財富和個人主義的觀點。他把個人主義描述為“人應該為了他的家人，為了他的兄弟朋友，而不是為了他自己而勞動，并與他們一起分享，這是一種高貴的理想。” 卡內基認為個性是非常重要的，但個性不應該偏離太大，或者以至于導致和他人不和。每個人都應該貢獻自己的思想，來更好地幫助整個社會。”

生活和交響樂另外一個類似的地方是，演奏者可能并不總是有悅耳的音符，但他還是要伴隨著其他人的演奏。例如，演奏者并不總是有獨奏的機會，或者有在聚燈光下成為眾所矚目展現自己的機會。在生活中，每個人都有著自己光輝的瞬間，雖然他們可能會與伴奏者一樣不被人注目，但是，這并不意味著他們的重要程度會比其他人低。悅耳的音樂不是總是由一種樂器發出的，而是在整個樂隊的組合下流動發出的。和生活一樣，每個人最終都有他們光輝的瞬間，或者有在聚燈光下成為眾所矚目展現自己的機會。

準備一個音樂會時，指揮會提醒音樂家交錯的呼吸。當然,他們可以在他們需要的時候呼吸，但是他們不會與鄰座的同時呼吸。如果每個人同時呼吸的話，他們將會成為音樂中寂靜時刻的焦點，這也一個是能夠同生活類比的例子。人們不得不在他們需要的時候才呼吸。他們不得不成為一個個體,而且知道有人會代替他們。

管弦樂隊接著演奏，他們雖然彼此個個分離，但卻可以組成一個團體，每個人都貢獻自己的一部分，一起前進。每個音樂家都是交響樂中活躍的一個分子。在生活中，我們更加團結，作為社會中積極的一員,我們每天貢獻著我們能夠貢獻的力量。樂隊演奏完他們最后一章，音樂也結束了。片刻的寂靜后，是觀眾雷鳴般的掌聲響起。