If you’re feeling “a way” about things, same.
I’ve found myself on the edges of conversations about the value of making art and music “in times like these.” And just as there are birthdays, good food, beautiful sunsets, perfect moments, cute pets, valuable friendships, and a multitude more, there are also bills that are due, a car repair, illness, bad weather and the evening news. Almost everyone has had the experience of holding more than one emotion at the same time.
Leonard Bernstein is often quoted from a speech he made following the assassination of JFK. “This will be our reply to violence, to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before.”
But it doesn’t have to be that serious, and music doesn’t always have to bring you to tears, or motivate you to shoot off fireworks in victory over something. It can also just be respite.
Another quote I came upon: “Instead of asking, ‘Have I worked hard enough to deserve to rest?’ I’ve started asking, ‘Have I rested enough to do my most loving, meaningful work?’ "– Nicola Jane Hobbs
Whether you want to take action for a cause or you’d rather get a break from all the causes that need action, as they say on the airplane, “secure your own mask before securing the mask of others.”
Sometimes during my shift on the air, I think about moments when music has mattered in my life and how just 2 to 5 minutes can really be enough. So, I’ll call out a place in an hour when you might be able to stop what you’re doing, close your eyes, and just listen. It’s a moment to recharge your batteries. If you’ve ever rushed to find a place to charge your phone just to make one important phone call, you know you don’t need a full charge; nothing needs to be perfect, you just need to have enough energy for the priorities of the moment.
Here are some pieces that can recharge your batteries in different ways.
- “Northern Lights” by Ola Gjeilo, a setting of the Pulchra es amica mea… (Thou are beautiful, O my love)—the beauty of this one is gentle and comforting.
- Either the J.S. Bach “Prelude No. 1 in C Major” or the Bach/Gounod “Ave Maria”—a nice push of the reset button, graceful and orderly.
- The Holberg Suite, Op. 40 by Edvard Grieg, just movement I. Praeludium—perfect for motivation and joy, a slice of sunshine on a cloudy day.
- Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto in A Major, movement 2 Andante—pure grace
- From the 3 Intermezzi, Op. 117 by Brahms, No. 1 in E-flat Major—sweet and a little sad too, just like holding opposing emotions at once.
