When do you remember the beginning?

When do you remember the beginning?

Current Mood:
thankful thankful

Current Music:
Janis Joplin – Summertime (from ‘Porgy & Bess’)

Went to see our friend ‘The Jimmy’ at UNC’s Playmaker Rep theater last night – the show was ‘Opus‘ – a story about relationships and music. Or as the New York Times reviewed it “Sex, Drugs, and Chamber Music.”

I spent the fleeting moments recalling my own brief fling with the stand up bass, attempting to help out Mr. Cleveland and Tim R. – sure I did more harm than good. Or the passions that existed in our very own stringed walled garden… ah, youths and bus rides.

What I liked the most about the show was how I had the chance to notice the subtleties – during the performance, the characters had a moment where they described what they saw/felt/heard as they music played; the description dialogged on how one violin starts, then the other coddles up to the first, with the viola and cello joining the passion making … as performed, the dialog had the music alongside – so you could have the description and the example – so I was able to notice. Able to see and hear orchestral music in a new light –

Noticing. Seeing. Hmmm …

Imagine my surprise/un-surprise of the TED blog having this for me this morning:

Are you certain? Just how certain are you?

I watch these talks and I find myself feeling that 2am wow I used to feel – that there is so much more and all of it – what I know, what i suspect, and what I’ve never even pondered – is all soooooooooo amazing.

Of course both during and after the show – perhaps par for the course these days – I was taken back to how mom loved music, and how her love of music kinda rubbed off on all of us. The recollections of Blood and I’s trials and tribulations (hey blood – they make cloth covered violin cases – why did I always lug a hard case around for ya???) have both the highs and lows … performing, practicing – I think Blood got to the point the show was more focused on – not mechanically extruding notes at the proper time, but finding the life, the love, the passion in the music. All in all, glad I was exposed to that kind of appreciation and love, no matter that it seems to have taken another 30 years for me to see that it’s all very complicated, and perhaps a guide would help. Wonder if The Jimmy does individual tours…

I do hope you take the time to watch these, if only to feel that too sense of amazement. I know I’ll be looking to listen to music differently, more closely – to see what I can see …

ciao,