Kansas City, and the world for that matter, thanks to the internet, have a
great new way to hear classical music. 91.9 Classical KC is playing classical
music the old fashioned "terrestrial way" on the radio locally, as well as
streaming to the heavens from their website:
Currently, they have a mixture of local and national programming. The local
program I want to bring to your attention is called From the Archives,
hosted by my friend, Frank Byrne. Mr. Byrne was the Executive Director of the
Kansas City Symphony for many years, and he is perhaps the only person I know
who loves classical music as much as I do. For his new show, he programs a great mixture of music
off the beaten path...not regularly heard in concert halls today, as well as concert favorites we all know and love. The emphasis will be on exceptional performances, so he chooses the most interesting interpretations/recordings of these works for us
to hear. It is true, and fascinating, that you can put two conductors in front
of the same orchestra, playing the same piece of music, and end up with two
completely different listening experiences. Frank knows this and picks the
most compelling and fresh recordings to share. I highly recommend that you
tune in every Saturday at 11:00 AM and Sunday at 6:00 PM Central.
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I am blessed to be able to play music, and sharing this gift with other
musicians is the best thing of all. I have been playing music at my church for
ten years now, and I've had the privilege of sharing this experience with many
fine singers and musicians. One who stands out is Rick Allen. Rick has a
passion for the guitar...and music...that I admire greatly. Every note he
plays is infused with his passion for music. We use in-ear monitors that allow
each musician to listen to the other band members at any volume level that
they want. I turn Rick up in my ears. Rick reminds me that what matters most
is passion and commitment. And the JOY of music. Thank you for reminding me of
this good friend.
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Today is August 6. 75 years ago today, everything changed in our world.....the
first nuclear bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Three days later, another was
dropped on Nagasaki. These are somber remembrances. I am not going to debate
the morality of these events. But I am going to share this beautiful piece of
music called Purple Heart Lane, by Stephen Harwood Jr. This is music
from a series called Band of Brothers, a WWII miniseries produced by
Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.
In 1945, the US was planning the invasion of the Japanese mainland. Our
experiences at Iwo Jima and Okinawa produced casualty estimates as high as 1
million US forces and 10 million Japanese civilians. Before Truman made the
decision to drop the A-bomb, the US military command ordered 500,000 Purple
Heart medals. Japan surrendered on August 15, and we were spared the invasion.
But the medals were manufactured, and every soldier who has been awarded a
Purple Heart since 1945 has received one from this order. Korea, Vietnam, the
Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq. This medal honors those who have been wounded
serving their country, but it is also a reminder that someone's son wasn't a
casualty in 1945. Perspective is important.