Life as Music - Note by Note

07/19/2008

Not long ago I was enjoying listening to the New Age Music on Sirius channel 173 as I motored on down the road.  I think I like it best because there are no words or lyrics for me to attempt to listen to as I drive.  Perhaps this is a reflection of my inability to do two things at once?  The Nancy calls 173 the Elevator Music channel, and I get the distinct feeling she does not appreciate my choice, but since it is my car I get to choose what plays and when (Does that make me a control freak?).  I don’t recall what the piece was but I do especially remember it was moving – you know, as in evoking emotion.  I got to thinking about how brilliant someone has to be to put together a series of notes, basically unrelated sounds, and bring them together to form something that is both beautiful and flowing – a piece of music that moves the soul and even that music which I consider to be crap.

I remember seeing the motion picture “Amadeus” back in 1984, and in awe of Mozart and his ability to seemingly hear the music he was composing in his mind even before he wrote it down.  Composing a symphony is not just putting a bunch of notes to paper, but also requires the composer to imagine how all the instruments in the orchestra will interact and compliment one another to accomplish what the composer has imagined for them.  Is this not amazing?

So I pondered that one for a short while, and then began to see that life is like a musical composition.  You heard this before: “Life is not about the destination but the journey.” As with music, our lives are a series of notes, notable events and passings, each playing at a particular moment, and each of us gets to compose our own.  If life were just one “note,” it would be awfully short.  In life, there are sweet notes, sour notes and off-key notes.  There short notes and long notes, and God knows we all have some flats and sharps.  But put them all together, and look at what can result?  I am the composer of my life.  It is a symphonic masterpiece, and so far it has had a pretty sweet sound. 

Excuse me, please, I have to go.  I am up early this morning I seem to have misplaced my baton, and I need to find it to begin my day.

And that is all I have to say about that…