This morning I was listening to NPR’s Morning Edition and mulling over the soul-wrenching, adrenaline-punching power of music.
Classical music, in particular.
Don’t believe me?
Well, in honor of the Bowl-which-cannot-be-considered-Super without the Cowboys in it –
Listen to this fun report on the composers who write the music for NFL Films.
And we’re not just talking variations on “Drunken Sailor.”
Sidebar: Did you know that the Dallas Cowboys didn’t christen themselves “America’s Team?” It was NFL Films that did.
But, back to the subject at hand –
Soundtracks. Soundtracks exist for only one purpose — to enhance the emotion of a scene. Whether you go back to the silent films and a piano building to a crescendo as the hero rescues the heroine from the railroad tracks –
Or the bum-bum-bum-bum of Jaws.
Which brings me to the other report this morning that dealt with music.
Take a deep breath, sit back and listen to an act of passion, of love, of pain, of honor.
It’s a compelling event and a moving program, this story about a Requiem that was the result of musicians coming together in a volunteer effort to raise money and awareness for Darfur.
But when you hear it — you realize this isn’t just about money. It’s everything a requiem is meant to be, instruments and voices soaring in pain, in fear, in triumph, in prayer — for the souls of the dead.
Don’t skip it because it sounds like a downer. It’s anything but. Verdi’s the same guy who wrote the fabulous Carmen
And come back and tell me what you think.
Music. Emotion. That’s what it’s about. Now and always.
Listen.
Feel.
