Admittedly before I started writing this piece I enjoyed some smooth red wine, and of course, that allows the words to flow much more freely and with less of a filter, but it is good for the heart.  At the same time, you should be thankful that I am writing these words rather than speaking them, and thus you can’t hear the shlurrred speech.

The truth is this:  I’m a tough son of a gun at times, independent and hard – working, not prone to showing emotions.  However, each time I hear the Star Spangled Banner played, our national anthem, I get tears in my eyes.  Every damn time I choke up.  I admit it.  One of the other songs that provoke this emotion is Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless America.”  Happens every time.  Reminds me of many gifts from God I have experienced, and tonight, it reminded me of my emotional release with my colleagues from POW camp training and simulated capture, years ago.

It happened again, today, at a Symphony Orchestra concert.  That’s right, a symphony orchestra.  They played the national anthem before the concert and that set me off, once again.  Reminded me of the men and women I served with and knew well, who sacrificed for this great country and died.  As well, the history of freedom from tyranny this country was founded for, and the blood that was shed to create a country based on a strong constitution the world has never seen.  I’m a lucky man to have been born here and enjoyed the freedoms we have, yet I will continue to fight for her and do what is right for her for the rest of my life.

That was the introduction to the symphony, preparing my emotions quickly for the start of Beethoven’s fifth.  Admittedly, I was never a classical music fan, although I love all genres of music – rock, jazz, smooth jazz, Latin, soul, pop, techno* and some country. I appreciate the instrumentation and rhythm first and then later, the lyrics.  Sure, I’ve reluctantly listened to symphonies before, but never felt the emotional inspiration I did tonight.  It was Beethoven’s fifth.  You’re right, the wine I had in the lobby beforehand may have warmed my senses a bit, but within a few minutes, I found myself absorbed completely in the emotion of his composition.  Sure, macho men who sport tattoos and drive Harleys wouldn’t be caught dead at a symphony, but perhaps that’s because they’re too insecure to show their appreciation of the beauty of genius with music.  That takes some strength, doesn’t it?

I closed my eyes and finally learned how to allow the instruments from each section to infiltrate my being, listening to them individually, watching the faces of the intense musicians, then incorporating each one into the whole that is the orchestra; no instrument alone can carry the piece, no matter how good the musician is.  I began to tap my feet, and move to the music, all the while bewildered by why everyone else was staring a head like so many cold Stonehenges.  I felt the drama of the story Beethoven was trying to tell, the violence, the passion, the despair, and yet the triumph of life’s beauty that comes back from the ashes, as always.  Majestic French horns, soulful oboes, nimble flutes, energetic trumpets, strong basses, and classy violins and cellos.  All for one and one for all.  Dissect them individually, then put them together, and the music takes you to your past and brings you back again to a future boiling with hope.  I felt inspired and surprised at myself for this discovery.

I thought about all the instruments that were there tonight, and although I was a trumpet player in my younger days, without the talent to play at anywhere near this level, it was not the brass section that caught my eyes today.  No, it was in fact, the single, lonely tympani or kettledrum player.  You see, of all the instruments in the orchestra today, he was the one, who had to hit his kettle drums perfectly, timed with exact precision to the musical score, because if it wasn’t perfect, he would be heard immediately and singled out like a zebra in a stable of horses. No question.  He couldn’t hide with multiple other musicians, like a group of violins or oboe players or bass players.  He was alone, spotlight on him if not immediately, it was implied and expected.

So enjoy the music, feel it deep into your soul and realize that without music our world would be an empty abyss of sadness.  Don’t judge until you’ve experienced it and tried to appreciate it with an open mind.  I learned my lesson and I’m a hell of a lot more inspired because I kept an open mind.

In fact, once I finally publish my novel and accomplish a few other things in life, it sure would be cool to play the majestic and powerful kettledrums, and do it with perfection.