Dakota Beacon

Time for a time out.

            News, as entertainment, sells. News stories stir and excite emotions of sadness, grief and terror as the 24-hour news cycles of the cable news stations and the world wide web roll on. Fast paced news bombards us with triumph and tragedy hour by hour.

            Floods, fires, earthquakes, unemployment, poor economy, war, assassinations, murders -- all this gripping information pummels us relentlessly. Reporting these dreadful occurrences could drive a sane man mad.

            I consume as much news as anybody, but enough is enough. So much buzzing, booming confusion arrives through the media each day that there comes a time to withdraw, heal and rejuvenate. I’m not a recluse by nature, but I do have my ways of retreating from the incessant assault of world events.

            One way is to retreat into the world of books, into literature and poetry. Some of the finest writing percolated to the top over the centuries and survives today. But, there is an even more fruitful way to evade.

            Music, classical music, the great pieces, offer solace in the midst of a troubled world. It soothes mind and soul with a full array of emotions especially calm and happiness. It is a beautiful interlude from the volatile array of emotions produced by the world of news. Even notes of sadness in a healthy sense, if there is such a thing, may inspire something beautiful.

            How little I know about music, yet I know what I like. A talented composer communicates the universal appeal of music to the soul. I find a sense of reasonableness in the classical music of the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s. It seems so rational while at the same time touching the heart. J. S. Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos 2 and 3, Handel’s Water Music, Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Respighi’s Ancient Airs and Dances and Pachelbel’s Canon in D comprise a few of my many favorites.

            I listen for the different instruments.

            I listen for variation produced by different conductors and orchestras.

            I listen for the theme repeated in different forms until the “far out point” or FOP is reached.

            Great music isn’t here to make us smarter, it’s here to give us pleasure. There is an endless variety of great music to encourage the soul, to cultivate the love of the beautiful.

            My purpose in listening to great music is to explore, cherish and savor something I enjoy and not be distracted from that pleasure with detail or disruption.

            In my experience there is nothing wrong with liking one piece and disliking another. For instance, I do not particularly care for the discordant classical “music” of the late 20th century. If I don’t enjoy a certain piece, I move on. There is plenty of other music available.

            I really don’t care if I understand the mysteries of Gregorian chant or the intricacies of Renaissance counterpoint. Knowing something of the composer and when and why he wrote his music makes the pieces more personal. These things may help my understanding, but not necessarily enhance my listening enjoyment. Other optional items would include historical anecdotes, how music is written, orchestration and acoustics. They all provide insight, but they are optional if they get in the way of my listening enjoyment. It’s better to use whatever information I have to enhance my listening pleasure rather than collect a bunch of unrelated factoids to clutter my mind. Information can always be acquired. I ignore whatever distracts and focus on the enjoyment.

            This is another way of saying that I need not be an expert. I take comfort in realizing I don’t have to earn a Ph.D. to enjoy great music. No previous experience is necessary. It’s a matter of exploring the art and enjoying it for its beauty and power.

            If I sometimes choose to exchange this world for the world of great classical music, it is because I wish to withdraw to renew and regenerate my soul.

            A vast and beautiful world of sound awaits me in solitude.

Dennis M. Patrick can be contacted at P. O. Box 337, Stanley, ND 58784 or (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).