masterpieces

OK, the first thought: I just put clean, warm sheets on my bed. That could be one of my *favorite* things, like in the song. I could hardly walk away from the bed, and not just crawl in RIGHT NOW!

The real thought for today: I am SO lucky to have access to great music. In staff meeting last week, my Principal was talking about one part of our core values, and how important it is for kids to have access to original and classic literature. I said that the art teacher and I deal in original and classical works all the time. We teach art and music that has been around for hundreds of years and has stood the test of time. These paintings (the Mona Lisa, etc.) and this music (Mozart, Beethoven, etc.) has not only been around for a long time, but has stood up to countless tests of quality. And it is still considered valuable enough for us to teach it to our students.

A couple days ago, my choir got back to practicing. After the Christmas concerts, which I was sick for most of, we always take a couple weeks off and then reconvene in January to work on music for the Spring concert. Well, this was that week. We got our music out, and sang through the whole program. Predictably, I didn't immediately connect with all the pieces, but it was a fun program and I think I will enjoy preparing for it.

As I was driving home, I thought about our school discussion about original and classic works, and then I thought about all the music that I sang that night.

I am so lucky to get to sing music from composers like Mendelssohn, and Copland, and Purcell, and Handel.

I am so lucky to get to own these pieces of music. Earlier in the week I got down on the floor and pulled out all of my music to get out any pieces of music I own, mostly just so I don't buy it again. But as I was sitting there with hundreds of pieces of music spread out around me, I thought about how lucky I am to have sung all these songs, and to have enjoyed so many of them.

I think it is incredible that we can go to museums whenever we want, and get right up close to art masterpieces, but that is not nearly as close as when I get to sing a masterpiece. I get to get INSIDE the song, and be the one (of many) that get to put that music out to the audience.

I'm the one who cries whenever I hear Beethoven's 9th Symphony finale. That song is almost 200 years old and one of the most famous pieces anywhere. And it's in German. But still, it makes me cry whenever I hear it.

What a gift to not only have access to masterpieces, but to get to be a part of them. Where else can you crawl into the arts and  become them?