An ode...

I read a great blog post on NPR's deceptive cadence this morning, titled "What's The First Piece of Classical Music You Fell In Love With?" and was disappointed when I saw that the comments were closed.  It was such a perfect blog to read today, because on my way in to work I was thinking about how some music defines us, some music crystallizes a moment in time for us, and some music simply moves us to feel.  I know that not everyone is a lover of classical music, but I am.  There are days when I get into my car after work and flip on my NPR station and get lost on the chords, the pull of the strings, the deep mellow sound of the cello, the soaring horns.  I've loved classical music almost as long as I can remember.  I have favorite eras, favorite composers, even favorite pieces to play (if I could remember where my flute ended up when we moved).  When I started thinking about all the different pieces of music that have defined my life, that have entered into my soul, it wasn't long before I was able to narrow it down to the first two that I recall playing over and over on my first stereo in my bedroom.  The Prelude from Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 and Debussy's Claire de Lune.  Both pieces of music were part of my early memories of classical love.  One inspired me to pick up the flute and go further in my career (but eventually I did put it back down, regretfully so at this age).  One gave me a deep love for all things cello.  I used to listen to both, rapture at the harmonies, the dissonances, the soaring melodies, the beautiful resolution at the end.  To this day, both can bring tears to my eyes.  I walked down the aisle at our wedding to Claire de Lune, as no other piece of music could better escort me to my future husband.  There was a time in my life where I was certain I would have a career in the music world...as a teacher, orchestra member, professor, or some other performer.  Those days have come and gone.  But my deep love (and appreciation for the many who have a talent that I do not possess) for classical music remains.  Maybe one day I'll dig that flute back out of the darkened corners of our basement (or attic...wherever it landed), dust off some baroque sheet music, and find myself some musically inclined friends.  Either that or invest in a cello...

A girl can dream...