Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Life Changers -- Part 4

     Music has come to be an important part of my life over the years. When I was a young boy, I actually didn't like music. We had music classes in school, and they weren't my favorite. My love of music came about because of two important discoveries. 

     My first life changing moment with music occurred when I discovered my Mom's Classical record collection. When my Mom was in her 20's and 30's she began collecting a lot of Classical records. She had many recordings by the Philadelphia Orchestra under the direction of Eugene Ormandy. She also had many recordings by the pianist Philippe Entremont. 

     I never heard my Mom listen to any of her Classical albums. One day, I found them in an out of the way cabinet. I started to play them on my record player, and it was a joy to experience the beautiful music. Through listening to these recordings, I feel in love with Classical music with a special appreciation for the Russian composers. 

     My second musical discovery came when I turned the radio to the local public radio station late one night when I couldn't sleep. I heard the Jazz In The Night program. The music was tremendous. I'd never heard instrumental music like that. I started learning more about Jazz and listening to Jazz every night on the radio. Jazz has become my favorite type of music, and I listen to some Jazz every single day without fail. It helps to keep me going even when I feel down. 

     Discovering Classical and Jazz music lead to a number of musical experiences in my life. I've been able to sing with three choirs. Two were church choirs, and I sang in the college choir. I also learned to play the trumpet. 

     Music brings great joy to my life. I am so glad I discovered Classical and Jazz. 

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