entry #1

I learned a lot in my music history and choral literature courses (some days more than others) and continue to do so whenever I listen to Classical MPR about the great composers of Western Europe. I could tell you that it was Beethoven who is more or less singlehandedly responsible for the shift in musical style from Classical to Romantic. I could tell you that Bach, a devout Lutheran would write music in such a way that if turned sideways, his scores would resemble a cross.

While these tidbits are both factual and relevant when it comes to the study of music and its development throughout history, the one thing I really took away from my education is this: we can analyze the pants off of Mozart and Beethoven and Bach and Wagner and Brahms and Schumann and Schubert and Verdi's music, but isn't the really truly interesting history to be learned from their journals? I certainly think so, and I think a lot of other nerds would agree with me.

Did the journals of these famous people make them famous? Or was it their talent? Was it a little bit of both?
Were it not for the journals, we'd be left with none of the juicy details of the lives of composers that most certainly had an impact on their musical output.

I haven't yet lost hope that I'll be famous one day. For what, I'm not sure yet, but I suspect it has something to do with the wildly hilarious and as-yet-unwritten humorous memoir based on the sometimes absurd advice given to me/us by my mother. If not for my tendency for verbosity, then perhaps my 15 minutes of fame will be the result of my collection of photos in and around Minnesota (though I think someone has already done this). There is also my career in music. I suspect I'm past my prime in terms of making it big as a pop star, but perhaps one of my "offspring" (i.e., one of my students) has a chance. They have youth on their side, after all.

Anyway, the point to all of this: I'm going to journal/blog. If for no other reason than to leave a record of my ramblings, then I'll do it. Obviously, my wish is that excerpts of my journal land in some historical textbook, but for now, the anonymous readers of the worldwide webernet will suffice.