Twenty-Fifth Year Anniversary

Coming into the New Year of 2025, I am reminded that we are celebrating the twenty-fifth anniversary of Y2k.

Remember that year?  2000 was the start of a new millennium (which actually began in 2001 to be precise) and one of the big concerns was that our new found friend (or enemy), the computer, was going to crash and wreak world-wide havoc.  Oh the concern!  Oh the horror!

But through foresight, or sheer luck, the year 2000 rolled in rather uneventfully for most of us and we carried on, marveling at the first year ever that didn't start with a "1" but instead a "2."

So now that we're about a quarter way through the first century of the next millennium, we can look back and say, boy did this world ever get screwed up.  So much for ending wars, poverty, and decaf coffee.  Instead, all are still with us in full force.

Will we do better in the next 25 years?  I'm guessing there will be advances in technology that will astound us.  Maybe we'll end up on Mars, who knows?  But I'll bet you we'll still have the same problems, same worries, and same type of troublemakers that we have now.

And I'll bet decaf coffee will still be around.  

Happy New Year!

Now You See It, Now You Don't

Recently, I made one of my regular trips to my local music store.  It was a typical occurrence and while I was selecting some material for the upcoming fall semester, the owner casually mentioned that he may close the print-music part of his business. The reason?  Online competition.

Online business is big business.  Who can argue of having the convenience of having items sent right to your home, often with little or no delivery charge is a great thing?  Wait by the mailbox, and presto!

But that encounter with my local merchant realigned my thinking.  This store has been around since 1989 and now they are thinking of closing a substantial portion of their business.  For me, this would not be good.

Why?  Because sometimes I've needed an item or two for my studio right away; not tomorrow and sometimes not even in a few hours from now.  Right away.  And who is there for me?  My retailer who is often quietly working behind-the-scenes, a smile on their face, ready to bail me out of my predicament in moment's notice.  And all it took was a 10 minute trip from my home to their business.

There are somethings that stores just don't seem to carry anymore.  As a movie buff, I still buy re-mastered versions of old movies and that's something my local retailer doesn't carry anymore.  In this case, it's online to the rescue!

But for regular business items, it's back to the brick-and-mortar establishment!  The last thing I want to see is a “for lease” sign in the vacant location where a music store used to be.

The Joy of Music, (I)

Music is an interesting phenomenon.

It's easy enough that many individuals have found that after learning a few chords, they can make their own music.  And truthfully, some of it isn't half bad.

But then...there's the serious stuff.  

As any highly-trained classical musician will tell you, there are compositions that will keep you up at night due to their complexity.  One practise session won't do it, so the musician gathers their instrument - piano, violin, voice, or other - and gets to work trying to get a handle on the piece.  Repetition, deep thought, repetition, frustration, repetition, pursuit of perfection, repetition; the hall marks of the professional musician.  Being able to go over the same sections of a work, over and over, without the requisite bouts of fear and yes, even anger at times, is the hallmark of what greatness will finally occur.

And here's a thought...

Think of a symphony orchestra.  Each member is a highly-trained musician who has spent countless hours perfecting what they do, almost always in solitude and the expense of giving up some perhaps more instantly-gratifying activity.  (Which professional musician hasn't yearned to go outside on a beautiful summer day, instead remaining indoors just to perfect that pesky trill passage?)

Now imagine 40, 50, 60 or more of these musicians gathered in one place to play a single work.  The symphony concert has begun.

Think of the number of accumulated, behind-the-scenes hours of work that are present.  If each person carries a minimum of 10,000 hours to achieve their professional status, well then, you do the math.

Of course it is true that very many other activities require the same amount of work.  But hopefully there aren't too many amateur doctors out there like there are amateur musicians, "performing" on their own."

Next time you hear any type of music, think of the total number of hours that are hidden from view.