Time marches on. We get reminded of that more and more as our years pass by. This is not news but how we deal with it makes all the difference. I was reminded of this a few times in the last few weeks. No more than a few days ago when my first grandchild, Clara Mae Juliette Winkel came into the world.
Here another cliché. No matter how well prepared you are for this reality of a grand child’s arrival you surely cannot predict the depth of emotion when you first hold that tiny person in your arms. A friend of mine who has two grandchildren said, it is the ultimate do-over. I suspect he is right. As I made the long four-hour drive back to the Cape from my daughter and her husband’s home in western Connecticut I had time to reflect on many things and I made a point to stop at the cemetery in Mystic to tell my parents about their new great grandchild. I also wanted them to know I was finally beginning to understand their unconditional love of my own children. I think they heard me.
As I drove along and listened to “My Girl” and Tom Rush’s wonderful “Lullaby” I began thinking about how music is so vital to our very souls. I see it just about every Sunday when I play at the Daily Brew café and even infants are drawn to the sound of the guitar. More than a few times I’ve watched as cranky young children suddenly go silent and stare in wonder at the sound. I absolutely believe the music is part of our genetic make-up and a person actually creating music versus a recording goes to the deepest place. I can’t wait to play for Clara, which will happen soon I hope.
That led me to wondering about just what music will be like when she is older. I hope that there will be more than the machine-generated electronica and repetitive, mind numbing rumble that seems to dominate much of popular music today. But I probably waste too much worrying about that. There is a reason that the music of the great classical composers has survived for hundreds of years. Also, the organic nature of producing instrumental and vocal music rather than just creating it on a computer will still speak to that deeper place.
It is impossible to predict exactly what will be popular in 20 or 30 years of course. I can only hope that the young songwriters and performers of today who ARE creating organic – dare I say, real music? – will then be the established voices of that music as we of the Old Guard become less relevant. And that they, too, will feel the need to perpetuate the respect for the simplicity of one person making music on a real instrument.
Welcome to the world, little Clara. My deepest wish is that the love that surrounds you will be nourished by beautiful music.
Peace & good music,
Gene
Here another cliché. No matter how well prepared you are for this reality of a grand child’s arrival you surely cannot predict the depth of emotion when you first hold that tiny person in your arms. A friend of mine who has two grandchildren said, it is the ultimate do-over. I suspect he is right. As I made the long four-hour drive back to the Cape from my daughter and her husband’s home in western Connecticut I had time to reflect on many things and I made a point to stop at the cemetery in Mystic to tell my parents about their new great grandchild. I also wanted them to know I was finally beginning to understand their unconditional love of my own children. I think they heard me.
As I drove along and listened to “My Girl” and Tom Rush’s wonderful “Lullaby” I began thinking about how music is so vital to our very souls. I see it just about every Sunday when I play at the Daily Brew café and even infants are drawn to the sound of the guitar. More than a few times I’ve watched as cranky young children suddenly go silent and stare in wonder at the sound. I absolutely believe the music is part of our genetic make-up and a person actually creating music versus a recording goes to the deepest place. I can’t wait to play for Clara, which will happen soon I hope.
That led me to wondering about just what music will be like when she is older. I hope that there will be more than the machine-generated electronica and repetitive, mind numbing rumble that seems to dominate much of popular music today. But I probably waste too much worrying about that. There is a reason that the music of the great classical composers has survived for hundreds of years. Also, the organic nature of producing instrumental and vocal music rather than just creating it on a computer will still speak to that deeper place.
It is impossible to predict exactly what will be popular in 20 or 30 years of course. I can only hope that the young songwriters and performers of today who ARE creating organic – dare I say, real music? – will then be the established voices of that music as we of the Old Guard become less relevant. And that they, too, will feel the need to perpetuate the respect for the simplicity of one person making music on a real instrument.
Welcome to the world, little Clara. My deepest wish is that the love that surrounds you will be nourished by beautiful music.
Peace & good music,
Gene
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