MUSIC

Before you get to nuts, let me assure you this is one topic that needs to written about at least once, then laid to rest, okay? Why?

The reason discussions or topics on music are so difficult is that nobody is willing to come right out and say; “look you like that kind of music and I don’t, so you play yours and I’ll play mine but let’s be decent about the volume, okay?”

Personally I think our youth play their music way to loud and even wearing headphones, you can still hear this stuff blasting from their head. I’m telling ya, you want a career in the future where you’ll make tons of money – become a hearing aid specialist! Because many are gonna need hearing aids and they aren’t going to wait until their in the 70s or 80s, or no they’ll need them in their mid-30s and early 40s!

But that’s another topic – I just want to share some musical education I received in my lifetime and still receive, thank you very much.

My Father loved classical music, he didn’t always understand its meaning or what the words were attempting to convey but he loved the sound of it. Even the cows got to hear classical music because he controlled the radio in the barn and that is what was played!! If Dad wasn’t around, then and only then could we switch channels but man, be sure you put it back to his channel – be damn sure you did that or suffer the consequences!

Back in my youth the Norwood Municipal building held concerts inside and these included band and classical music performances. I mean, they were pretty popular and folks actually got dressed up, bought tickets and came to these events – it was high-class stuff and we were not then nor now, high-class folks! Anyway, Dad tended to prefer the balcony for some reason and that’s where we sat (mind you this was not a cheerful act on our part, we would rather of had our teeth pulled than attend these damn classical music performances). It always amazed me as to why we were dragged to this in the first place? Were their no sitters or was this considered his sick version of punishment? Dad always had a somewhat dry sense of humor!

Anyway, for whatever reason we went and had to sit through this stuff. Now, don’t judge us to harshly here but we use to take small pieces of the program, chew it up into tiny little spitballs and then, spit them in the direction of some baldhead below us. It was so small that when it landed it was like some annoying fly or hardly felt at all. Hey, on a good evening you could cover some “chrome dome” head with many spitballs.And we would stifled our giggles and keep right on adding to the pile. I mean it took quite a few spitters to cover a head and from different families but nobody seemed to compete or mind, just cover the baldhead was the main goal. Oh come on, we were kids and we weren’t the only ones engaging in this devilish behavior! The best part was we never got caught, Dad was way too wrapped up in the music and Mom, I don’t think she cared one way or the other!

The term classical music is also colloquially used as a blanket term meaning all kinds of music that feature choirs, or symphony orchestra instruments. The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods. The best known composers from this period are Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. I know you are finding this just stimulating and hope it ends soon, right? This was the stuff or kind of music my Father loved and never explained why to anyone (to my knowledge and many years later, he actually became a bit more versed and could say who was playing when a classical tune was heard;"oh that's Mozart," he would say!).

I wanted my children to experience all kinds of music and that included classical and when they entered our home and heard it playing they would say; “OMG she is playing her death music again!” Obviously it was gonna take them a few years to develop a love for classical music just like it took me. Bottom line I find classical music very relaxing and soothing and now I fully comprehend why my Father loved it so much.

Okay, what’s the flippin point here? Ya, I suppose there should be a point---- don't ask me why but there should be a point, right? Hey, if you follow all this logic, you buy the next round my friend.

All I am suggesting is that you allow yourself and your children a chance to explore and hear different kinds of music. Take then to the Norwood Village Green Concert Series – let them hear these sounds and watch the various performances. They may never become classical music fans but they may discover that playing music at a respectable volume allows you to actually hear all the instruments and words and sounds so much nicer than that deploring loud blast that is ruining their eardrums!

Oh hell, go outside and sing, make up a song and just sing, do something silly today – why, because you can, that’s why!!!


Youth is a gift of nature, but age is a work of art!