Mother's Day, Retirement, Commencement, and Double Happiness

Yesterday, May 9, 2021, was Mother's Day. I am so blessed that my Mom, Judith Elnora Welker Hazlett,  is alive and well...and amazing! She celebrated her 81st birthday last weekend. Aside from some minor aches and pains, she is fit as a fiddle. And as much as I love her as my mom, I cherish her friendship and company. We still have coffee/breakfast at Panera every Friday, text or call pretty much every day, attend the KC Symphony regularly, and get together for special events and holidays. The picture here is from my great-aunt's memorial service last month. My mom and I flew to Houston for it and had a wonderful time with family...despite the rain.

***********************************************************************************

Next up for milestone events in my life; my wife Cheryl is retiring! She has been a teacher for thirty-three years. Her school district had a dinner for all retirees, so my mom and my oldest son, Jack, went to celebrate with her. The dinner, drinks and conversation were wonderful. Memories were shared. And the dedication and passion for her work was recognized. I am so in awe of her. We estimate that she taught more than 1000 students during her career. Everyone of them was lucky to have her as a teacher. Well done baby....I love you.

***********************************************************************************

The same week of my Mom's 81st Birthday and Cheryl's retirement dinner, my son Ethan graduated from the University of South Dakota with a BA in Sports Marketing and Media. Four years that seemed to fly by. Ethan worked so hard. He proved to himself that he is capable of great things...hard things. I am so proud of him. The future is his.

***********************************************************************************

So much has been going on. I confess I have been an emotional basket case the past few weeks. Life is speeding by. I can't always keep up. But I reflect on this daily and work to place things in perspective. Music helps me do this. Today, about three hours ago, I heard a piece of music on Sirius XM - Symphony Hall Channel 76 that hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been examining my life these past few weeks and concluded that all of these wonderful life events were truly special and joyous...I am a very blessed soul. But even before any of these events occurred, I was ultimately blessed in so may ways. These events were the cream at the top of the cup. I have "double happiness." And so this music, entitled Double Happiness by Christopher Cerrone,  affirmed this tonight, and I share it with you here. I have Double Happiness in my life.

Great Artists: A Conversation with Maestro Michael Stern

I've written about and shared many experiences I have had over the years attending concerts of the Kansas City Symphony...my home town orchestra...my favorite orchestra. Yes, I've seen Berlin, Vienna, Philadelphia, Boston, Los Angeles....and others...but my favorite of all is Kansas City. So you can imagine how excited I was when Michael Stern, Conductor and Music Director, agreed to have a conversation with me for this blog. He has been here in KC since 2005, and under his leadership, we now have a world class orchestra. 

https://www.kcsymphony.org/musician/michael-stern/

Great Conversations: Pastor Jim Preisig

I have been a member of The Summit Church here in Lee's Summit for more than twelve years now. Pastor Jim Preisig is the reason my family and I selected this church in the first place when we were looking for a church to call "home." Pastor Jim is a brilliant speaker. His enthusiasm and passion are boundless and inspiring. Our church is blessed to have strong musical traditions and exceptionally gifted musicians and singers who serve. I know how important music is to Pastor Jim from many of his messages over the years, and I was so very happy he agreed to have a Zoom conversation with me to talk about his personal relationship with music, the role music plays in worship, and many other topics.

I hope you enjoy it! And below are two wonderful quotes Jim shared during our conversation.

“God has given us music so that above all it can lead us upwards. Music unites all qualities: it can exalt us, divert us, cheer us up, or break the hardest of hearts with the softest of its melancholy tones. But its principal task is to lead our thoughts to higher things, to elevate, even to make us tremble…

 

The musical art often speaks in sounds more penetrating than the words of poetry, and takes hold of the most hidden crevices of the heart… Song elevates our being and leads us to the good and the true.

 

If, however, music serves only as a diversion or as a kind of vain ostentation it is sinful and harmful.” Friedrich Nietzsche, Twilight of the idols or how to philosophize with a hammer

 

If I should ever die, God forbid, let this be my epitaph:

THE ONLY PROOF HE NEEDED

FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD

WAS MUSIC

Kurt Vonnegut, a man without a country.

 

Great Artists: A Zoom Conversation with Maestro Jim Murray

I've known Jim Murray since 2005 when he became the Conductor and Music Director of the Heritage Philharmonic. I have played the violin in this orchestra for more than 20 years now...man, it's hard to believe it has already been that long! Jim took over for another great conductor, Jack Ergo, who occupied the podium for 25 years prior to his arrival. There are so many wonderful things about Jim, but what stands out to me is how much he truly loves music. It's not just his job. Maestro Murray is also the Conductor and Music Director for the Northland Symphony Orchestra, and the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of Kansas City. And if that isn't enough, he also teaches music at the Metropolitan Community College-Maple Woods. I have linked his bio below.

Maestro Murray and I have talked for years about doing an interview for my blog. Well, we finally got it done. Here is the first of what I hope are many conversations.

http://www.heritagephilharmonic.org/music-director--conductor.html

Saying Good-bye to AnnaLou

 

We said good-bye to a very special person last month...my great aunt, AnnaLou Parker. She was my grandmother's sister. AnnaLou was born in 1929, meaning she was 13 years younger than Mary Quinn. They were very close, and had many things in common, including a love for music. Her daughter Jan, whom I am closest too of her 4 children, shared this list of songs that AnnaLou loved. During her lifetime, she played the piano and sang. She was THAT person who lit up a room when she walked in...a light of laugher and love. My Dad was very fond of her, and they had a special bond. She and Jan came to his funeral in 2006. I know he saw her there from above and smiled.

So to pay tribute to her, I will be listening to these wonderful hymns and thinking of her in Heaven. I love you AnnaLou. 

Great Artists: A Zoom Visit with John Svoboda

John Svoboda is a guitarist, composer, arranger, teacher, performer, philosopher, coffee aficionado, runner, baseball fan.....he is also my friend. He and his wife, Myra, are a duo known as No Bow Tie, and they are spreading the blasphemy of classical music played on steel string guitars, banjos, electric bass....and God knows what else. John can meld Dvorak with Rush or Mozart with Albeniz. He's like a mad scientist creating musical Frankensteins in his laboratory. But, Mr. Svoboda also plays "legit" classical guitar, loves opera, and can play the violin (yes John, I remember!) He is quite a tornado of creativity.

I am opening this blog up to incorporate the "spoken word." I have a YouTube page where I post music I have recorded. I have done many interviews for this blog in the last 6 years, but the one thing I don't like is the process of transcribing the interview...it takes me forever. So I recorded my Zoom conversation with John and am going to share it here. It is not produced nor edited...I don't know how to do that yet. At one point, I realized my computer was not plugged in, so I had to dive under the desk to find the power chord and plug it back in. But what the hell. It is honest and authentic. I hope you enjoy it.

Classics in Commercials, Finding Joy in Music at Every Level, It's For You

I like to share examples of classical music being used in popular media. The problem lately for me has been that except for sports, I don't watch much TV, so I am probably missing quite a bit. But I did catch this one the other day...a commercial for Squarespace. The music here is from the first movement of Mendelssohn's Fourth Symphony, known as the Italian Symphony (1833).

*********************************************************************************

My Dad, whom I have spoken of many times here, had the gift of being able to hear music...let me unpack this a bit. There's a difference between playing music and making music. Musicians who play notes are not necessarily "making music." They may just be playing notes. That's the easy part. Turning those notes on the page into an emotional connection...or reaction...is a different thing, and can be elusive. My dad appreciated anyone or any ensemble who could make music, at any level of proficiency. He would come to my school orchestra concerts with open ears and an open heart, ready to have the music speak to him. Clunky notes, shaky entrances, or wobbly tempos did not stand in the way of him recognizing a sincere attempt to say something musical. He was patient and thoughtful, and when I came out to meet him after a performance, knowing that we had sucked on a technical level, he would be smiling ear to ear, happy to share that we had "made music" despite any of the aforementioned imperfections. On another occasion, we went to see the world famous Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1988 at Orchestra Hall. The best musicians in the world....the greatest repertoire. And on this night...believe it or not...nothing magical happened, The notes were perfectly played. The sound was perfect. But for some unexplainable reason, we were not moved. Something was missing. So I learned to be open to hearing music anywhere and everywhere. A dingy blues bar...a honkytonk country bar, or a middle school gymnasium, are all places you may hear something special. Be open and ready. And for the record, we did go back to Orchestra Hall to hear the CSO the next night, and they blew the roof off the joint...which they usually do. Even the CSO can have a bad night.

***********************************************************************************

If I had to tell you what piece of music I have probably listened to the most over the past 40 years, it would likely be "It's for You" by Pat Metheny. It was featured in the 1984 film Fandango, a great "off the beaten path" movie that I still love that was Kevin Costner's first starring role.  The tune is from the 1981 album called "As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls," a collaboration between Pat Metheny and keyboardist Lyle Mays. This music has penetrated my DNA. The entire album is a true masterpiece.