Richard and Gracie
These past few weeks have been particularly difficult for me for a number of different reasons. So I was feeling a tad put upon when a friend of mine, Richard, told me about a musical event in which he was a participant. He thought I might want to attend. It was held at the Butler Museum of American Art during the lunch hour this past Wednesday. Richard is a music aficionado of sorts, and likes to compose modern classical music. He belongs to an organization affiliated with the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University whose purpose is to foster and develop various artists with this type of talent. The event was designed to showcase their original compositions, performed by students from the Dana School.
It was a dreary day, and my mood was not the best. My wife encouraged me, however, to attend the recital, saying I should do something for myself. As lunch approached, I left the office early and drove to the north side to watch the performance. When I got to Butler, I was surprised to find that not only was Richard premiering a piano composition that afternoon, but another friend of mine was also showcasing her music. Gracie and I have been friends since we were in college together. She recently mentioned to me that she was composing music, and had written a duet for flutes. When she told me, I thought….well…OK. Flutes!!!!! How “interesting”. And to be honest, I thought a little weird.
Here is what I learned. What a blessing it is to have two such talented friends who have persevered in their musical talents and abilities. As people my age continue to get, let’s say more mature, it is a pleasant surprise to see that latent talent and ability can still drive people to achieve the best of their own, individual expressions. Richard’s composition musically depicting one of his personal life experiences was outstanding. And as for Gracie’s flute duets, I will NEVER “diss” flute duets again. It was terrific, and showed me a side of her that I, and our other common friends, didn’t know existed.
Both of these folks have been able to look into themselves, and allow what they find in there to come out. It isn’t a matter of age, or of life circumstances, or what their friends may or may not think about what they are trying to achieve. They simply do what they are compelled to do, and let anyone who chooses to share in the experience.
I also learned that a musical respite in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon is a good way to put things into perspective; beautiful music in a beautiful setting done by aspiring folks still trying to achieve their personal best. All of the pieces of music were interesting, and fun, and creative, and displayed a level of competence and talent to which any musician should aspire. It made the rest of the week better.
Thank you, and congrats, to Richard and Gracie.
It was a dreary day, and my mood was not the best. My wife encouraged me, however, to attend the recital, saying I should do something for myself. As lunch approached, I left the office early and drove to the north side to watch the performance. When I got to Butler, I was surprised to find that not only was Richard premiering a piano composition that afternoon, but another friend of mine was also showcasing her music. Gracie and I have been friends since we were in college together. She recently mentioned to me that she was composing music, and had written a duet for flutes. When she told me, I thought….well…OK. Flutes!!!!! How “interesting”. And to be honest, I thought a little weird.
Here is what I learned. What a blessing it is to have two such talented friends who have persevered in their musical talents and abilities. As people my age continue to get, let’s say more mature, it is a pleasant surprise to see that latent talent and ability can still drive people to achieve the best of their own, individual expressions. Richard’s composition musically depicting one of his personal life experiences was outstanding. And as for Gracie’s flute duets, I will NEVER “diss” flute duets again. It was terrific, and showed me a side of her that I, and our other common friends, didn’t know existed.
Both of these folks have been able to look into themselves, and allow what they find in there to come out. It isn’t a matter of age, or of life circumstances, or what their friends may or may not think about what they are trying to achieve. They simply do what they are compelled to do, and let anyone who chooses to share in the experience.
I also learned that a musical respite in the middle of a Wednesday afternoon is a good way to put things into perspective; beautiful music in a beautiful setting done by aspiring folks still trying to achieve their personal best. All of the pieces of music were interesting, and fun, and creative, and displayed a level of competence and talent to which any musician should aspire. It made the rest of the week better.
Thank you, and congrats, to Richard and Gracie.
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