Although my first experience of a live orchestra didn't quite provoke the same expletive, my response was similar: I couldn't quite believe my ears. I never imagined such aural richness was possible. And I couldn't quite control my bicycle on the way back to school through Hagley Park, afterwards. The (former) NZBC orchestra invited secondary school students to its morning rehearsal in advance of their scheduled evening performance in the Civic Theatre, Christchurch. Subsequent pleas to learn an orchestral instument sadly fell on deaf ears - piano was deemed sufficient! But I did eventually 'do' music at university, graduating MusB(Hons) from Otago, M Mus from London and returning to Otago to complete an interdisciplinary PhD which included music. I know exactly how that 'warned about' pupil felt: I applaud his response and wish him an equally rewarding future in music.