The somewhat faded photo attached epitomizes my effort made many years ago to preserve what I felt was fading....which were the names of the composers of the piano pieces I learned as a child.
The names of these classical composers were no longer on people's lips....Youtube had not assisted in their preservation.
Those many years ago, I had a faint panic set in when I realized that these composers were not being taught any more, at least not in the common music venues or in public schools. I felt like I was on an archeological dig, but simply putting these names on to paper. I purposely wrote them out by hand.
I recall asking a graphic art print shop to make something out of the names and it was a strange experience. They did not understand my request and did not value the treasure trove of names on this list. They did not understand my desperation to preserve that which is faded and too often forgotten.
And so I left that print shop, disappointed and alone in my quest...gripping a yellowing copy of hand written names of classical piano composers.
Tell me friends, how do you preserve those old things you cherish? Old recipe books or photos that are fading and recipes cards that are worn and covered in crumbs?
Are you uploading all your precious memories onto the cloud? Is this the best choice?
We must not let the huge computer conglomerates "own" all of our memories.
Keep some of your memories in actual literal tangible formats. Keep some recipe cards in paper or cardstock format. Let some things in your life still be touchable and "feel-able". Keep some photos on the walls, even if it makes your home look dated. Allow some of your instruments to be "dumb" and without electrical aspects. You don't need to plug in a grand piano. May it always be so.
I know that this generation is very much oriented towards putting absolutely every aspect of life online.
We must thing deeply about the ramifications of having everything online. That which is online can be altered and misfiled and put to the back of the line. It is very easy for computer systems to promote that which "they" want us to think about and recall. The items and knowledge and skills that are deemed irrelevant or unworthy are not "boosted" to top of mind reminders. There are billions of virtual garbage dumps of data that someone in some computer head office has decided is not worthy of preservation. Much knowledge will be lost if we do not continue to preserve and practice that which we value....in real life. Hands on playing of instruments. Real singing in real choirs with real voices.
Well trained classical pianists are few and far between. How many people can easily identify a classical composer if asked to "identify the writer of a classical piece"?
Yes, it is a learning curve, assisted by many hours spent listening to classical music, whether it is being played live in person, or remotely by a livestream, or in past tense via file downloads, or CD's, cassettes, or vinyl records or on classical radio stations or classical moments on pop radio stations.
Time spent learning and absorbing the music of the great classical composers is not time wasted if one is truly respectful of that which was carefully created for timeless enjoyment and expression.
Classical music is on a higher level than pop or rock or rap. It trains the human spirit and the mind and the heart to sense and express that which is subtle and sublime. We must not reduce this expression and sensitivity. We must protect it's very existence.
And so I thought I would revisit this faded photo to impress upon my readers once again....that there is a war going on right now.
If we love classical music and being literate in it's cultivation, we must celebrate these things by bringing more of these practices into our lives. We must attend more classical concerts live and recorded. We must practice the art of whatever instrument allows us to play classical themed music. Whether this is through singing in choirs or playing an instrument that isn't electric.... We must create new pieces which carry that same respect for beauty and musical delicacy that classical music embodies.
Thank you for listening friend. Go on and have a lovely day.
Peace,
Carla
Thank you God, for the composers below....both baroque and classical. These gifts keep giving.
JOHANN STRAUSS
Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH
C.P.E. Bach
M. CLEMENTI
W.A. MOZART
G. Grovlez
FREDERIC CHOPIN
GIUSEPPE VERDI
ALEXANDER BORODIN
JAN IVANOVICI
Antonín Dvořák
EDWARD MACDOWELL
Domenico Zipoli
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