During the years of pandemic, times that so many of us would like to forget, musicians were confronted with significant challenges. For a time, we missed out on the joy of making music in large ensembles, and of course, large gatherings of any kind were not possible for a while as concerts were canceled. In response, musicians everywhere did what we are so good at. We got creative. Do you remember the videos of individuals around the world singing or playing to each other from their balconies? People everywhere recognized that sharing music together as a community was exactly what was needed to help us through those troubling times. We realized that music--a tapestry of sound gifted from heaven itself--becomes all the more vivid and exhilarating when shared with others.
In the courses I teach each year, I feel so thankful for the blessing of recorded sound. It's fantastic to be able to instantly play an audio clip or show a video excerpt to my students for almost anything I want them to hear; and yet, I always try to remind them that digital sound, no matter how good, has less emotional impact than sounds heard at a live performance. For me it's always exciting to hear Mozart's Requiem online, but it doesn't compare to hearing the Dies Irae from the same work performed live by a choir and orchestra, and I believe that part of the thrill is due to the impact it has on us as a community.
My main point is this: music is a gift that is meaningful to us all; but if there were any way to make something as good as this even better, it would have to be the sublime experience of sharing music live with others.
I wrote a choral piece based on this poem by W.B. Yeats:
Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
From my vantage point, music is the stuff from which divine fabric is made...and I consider it an honor to weave harmonies and contrapuntal threads together into a tapestry for the ears. As you peruse my website, I cannot regale you with literal cloths of heaven...or any other kind of riches for that matter, but I am pleased to offer what I have: my music. I hope that you enjoy your visit.