Music Appreciation
I've gained an appreciation for the great classical music of the 17 and 1800's. I wonder what this world would be like if this great music had been lost or disregarded. Thank-God people have loved and cherished this grand music preserving it for the generations to come. I have acquired respect for Bach, Handel, Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn and others. I see them as geniuses in their field. I am making a place for many different types of music in my life. I've found that classical music is full of emotion that allows me to listen and feel what the composer had intended when he wrote that piece of music. We all know the person who only listens to one type of music and rigidly proclaims he only likes country-western or only rock-n-roll. That is an extremely limiting view of the world of music. There is so much to draw on and experience, this person is missing out. I don't want to limit my interest to only one or two genres.
I now listen to classical and jazz when driving and I plan to attend to the symphony and perhaps even the opera. Of coarse Christmas wouldn't be the same without Handel's "Messiah". This experience in music has created a vast array of emotion. Some of the music is simply peaceful while other compositions create feelings as diverse as love and joy to grief and sadness. While listening I can't help but appreciate the masterful workmanship of these compositions. I can say my mind is open to enjoying music from different times and eras, trying to understand what this music meant to the people of its day. Swing music of the 1930's and 40's was a happy, dance, big band sound that cushioned people during a difficult time of our history, the Depression and WWII. Blues and Jazz grew out of regional grass routes music. This is fascinating because the music tells us something about the people's lives and their conditions. Our country was never short on original ideas, our all American Blues and Jazz, birthed in the USA is no exception. Much of our American country-western and rock-n-roll was an evolution from the regional blues. It's fun to be exposed to many different types of music. In this study I was exposed to Chinese opera, I must admit I disliked it. The sounds gave me a very bad headache and I wondered if the performers were tone deaf. All though I came away from this class with a large selection of music to choose from and enjoy, Chinese opera will never be found in my CD collection. This world would be a bleak place without music. A person who doesn't have music in their life is missing out on a gift of joy. Music has the capacity to lift our spirits and help us through difficulties in our lives. When you look at nearly every significant event in our lives such as birthdays, weddings, funerals, church services, music is a big part of all this. Music is a way for us to express ourselves and to bring human emotions into the events of our lives. Music often accompanies our meals as we nourish our bodies we nurture our spirit. It's rare to eat out without background music. "Macaroni Grill" is one of my favorite restaurants. It always has festive music and sometimes Italian opera. A movie isn't complete without the music score and silent movies used music to help tell the story. Music is woven throughout our lives and sometimes we forget how important it is. I remember my Grandfather's funeral. They played my Grandfather's favorite song, "Oh Danny Boy". Knowing my Grandfather's history it became a moving and meaningful moment. When we got to the cemetery there was a lone bagpiper in a full dress kilt playing a haunting song. My Grandpa (Gordon Artemus Burleigh) of Scottish decent would have loved it certainly everyone was touched by the performance. Music helps us connect with and define our emotions.
Reading the biography of Beethoven helped me to understand the nature of his work and to appreciate his beautiful music even more. When I travel through Europe I plan to tour Vienna. My Uncle, who lived in Germany as a boy, told me about Vienna and what an interesting ancient city it is. He saw Beethoven's piano and learned that Beethoven would lay his head on the piano to feel the vibrations, after he had lost his hearing. I would also like to see the Paris Opera House and perhaps be able to see a performance there.
This music class has broadened my view of the world giving me a better understanding of the history of music as well as its influence in our lives. Music is one of the great stress relievers. I've found new sounds, that I had never considered or even knew existed, I can now relax and unwind with a greater variety of music.
