The power of music
I'm often amazed at the power of music to affect our emotions. It can manipulate us or soothe us. It sometimes puts us in a place to meditate and reflect and sometimes causes us to be enraged and angered.
I was reminded this past weekend when I had three very different musical experiences. First I went to see the Eagles, who were a staple of my youth. Even at a distance of a few years, their playing had the ability to bring me back to the innocent (or not so innocent) days of my adolesence and recall those happy and not so happy time.
The next day I went to the memorial service for a friend. He was a conductor and it was an afternoon full of music. It was reflective and emotive but never maudlin. It was a celebration of the life that he had dedicated to music. And although there were words spoken, it was Ives, Schütz, Bach, and Brubeck (very moving, played by the man himself) that took us to another place.
The evening brought Gypsy and that powerhouse Patti LuPone. It was a towering performance and what she brought to that monster of a character Rose (can anyone make her sympathetic) was a strength and determination that Jule Styne's great score proved to hit us hard over the head.
It was a music packed 24 hours, but never was I tired or weary of hearing. In fact I wanted more.
I was reminded this past weekend when I had three very different musical experiences. First I went to see the Eagles, who were a staple of my youth. Even at a distance of a few years, their playing had the ability to bring me back to the innocent (or not so innocent) days of my adolesence and recall those happy and not so happy time.
The next day I went to the memorial service for a friend. He was a conductor and it was an afternoon full of music. It was reflective and emotive but never maudlin. It was a celebration of the life that he had dedicated to music. And although there were words spoken, it was Ives, Schütz, Bach, and Brubeck (very moving, played by the man himself) that took us to another place.
The evening brought Gypsy and that powerhouse Patti LuPone. It was a towering performance and what she brought to that monster of a character Rose (can anyone make her sympathetic) was a strength and determination that Jule Styne's great score proved to hit us hard over the head.
It was a music packed 24 hours, but never was I tired or weary of hearing. In fact I wanted more.
posted by Rich Russell at
7:09 PM
2 Comments
