Still learning

I remember when I was a kid, practicing my violin was not always something I wanted to do. I wish I knew then what I know now. When you are young, you want instant results, not small improvement over a long period of time. I was impatient and restless. Now, at age 55, I see things much differently. I recognize and appreciate the beauty of practice. I am not in a hurry anymore. I love slowing difficult passages down to a crawl to look inside them...to figure them out.Taking my time feels good. And it still works.
I have experienced this new appreciation most recently while practicing the guitar. I play the guitar, yes, but I have not had any formal training and am completely self-taught. I don't consider myself a guitarist at all, but I enjoy it immensely. I borrowed an electric guitar from my friend Ben the other day and set about trying to learn some riffs that I admired, but I knew were out my reach. I embraced the idea of playing them slowly, over and over. Little by little I gained confidence and started to master these riffs. I learned to play them well enough to record and share with my Facebook friends. This tried and true regiment really works...even for me in my middle years. Take my time. Enjoy the work. Trust the process. I didn't see that as a kid. I practiced my violin. I got pretty good. I still play. It is a joy...a gift. And I am better now than ever. Wow.

https://www.facebook.com/tim.hazlett.9/videos/10222400968155481/

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The COVID-19 Pandemic continues. Life has changed. The world has changed. But it is not the first time in history that a pandemic has changed the course of history. Here is an excellent article about how an epidemic of Yellow Fever led to the United States's acquisition of the Louisiana Territory.

https://helenair.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/yellow-fever-and-the-louisiana-purchase/article_eda1c5b3-f498-5517-a72c-0194957494e4.html

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The Heritage Philharmonic was scheduled to play our Spring Concert on March 15 at Helzberg Hall here in Kansas City. This was cancelled due to the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. We had hoped to reschedule the concert for October, but that remains to be seen. In the meantime, we had to turn our music in last week because much of it is rented and needed to be returned. I was very sad making the drive to return it to our music librarian. So much practice and rehearsal...and no chance to play it in a performance.

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I have given up watching TV news, and I don't read much news anymore either. I listen to music...more than ever. My latest listening project has been listening to the First or Only Symphony of composers:

Philip Glass Symphony no 1
Edward Elgar Symphony no 1
Joachim Raff Symphony no 1
Howard Hanson Symphony no 1
Igor Stravinsky Symphony no 1
Charles Gounod Symphony no 1
Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony no 1
Peter Tchaikovsky Symphony no 1
Gustav Mahler Symphony no 1
Johannes Brahms Symphony no 1
Franz Liszt Faust Symphony
Samuel Barber Symphony no 1
Georges Bizet Symphony in C major
Felix Mendelssohn Symphony no
Anton Bruckner Symphony no 1
Charles Ives Symphony no 1
Leonard Bernstein Symphony no 1
Edvard Grieg Symphony in C minor
William Walton Symphony no 1
Carl Nielsen Symphony no 1
Franz Schubert Symphony no 1
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony no 1
Robert Schumann Symphony no 1
Camille Saint-Saens Symphony no 1
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov Symphony no 1
Jean Sibelius Symphony no 1
Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony no 1

I am still immersed in no 1's....I will update later. But there is something wonderful about a First.

Happy Birthday Mom!

May 2, 1940. The miracle of childbirth. A baby girl is born to Leslie and Eileen Welker in Lamar, MO. Her name is Judith Elnora Welker, and she grew up to be my mom, my friend and my inspiration. I call this Blog "Classical Connections" because I love classical music. My dad was certainly a prime influence on me with respect to music, as I said in the very first post in 2014. But I have to give equal credit to my mom, for she too nurtured and shaped my musical journey and without her, music would not mean nearly as much to me as it does.
This little girl from Lamar grew up to be an extraordinary woman. She got married, worked to support my dad as he completed his academic studies, raised two children, made friends everywhere we lived...most of whom she still stays in touch with...became a great tennis player, runner, journalist, advertising executive, artist and musician....and I know I am leaving many other accomplishments out. This remarkable woman is turning 80 years old, and I know it blows her mind as much as mine, and everyone who knows her. She still walks, runs, rides her bike, works in the yard, delivers Meals on Wheels, and serves at Church, She still has a passion for learning new things, and helping others.
She is also a cancer survivor, a person of deep faith, a person who serves God, and worries more about others than herself. And she is a grandmother who has more love to give her family than the visible light of the Universe. Yes, she is that special, and I love her more than words can express. So to you mom, I say "Cheers", just as we say when we take our selfies at the Kansas City Symphony concerts we love to attend together. I look forward to the next decade and beyond of Friday morning coffee, symphony concerts, fun times with family and most of all, your boundless love, joy, and positive spirit. I love you.