Recorded Music

How do you find peace in your life?

I love listening to music. Listening to recordings of great music and musicians is, for me, one of the most useful and fulfilling applications of technology. In our world today, music seems to be everywhere. At parties, on the car radio, in movies and TV shows, music is deeply intertwined with our culture. In many ways, I have taken my easy access to music for granted. I can’t comprehend a time when I would not have had my phone and digital library, or earbuds and headphones to take my music with me everywhere I go. Having music at my fingertips to listen to is such an important part of my life that I hadn’t realized that it really is something very new. It’s like sweet foods; though largely taken for granted today, sweet foods, like music, was for most people throughout history something special and meaningful, even momentous.

I was reading about Hector Berlioz, a Romantic composer whose music I really enjoy. There was a specific section on influences upon Berlioz’s music, especially that of other composers. Berlioz shared my reverence for Beethoven, but, in terms of access, could not find Beethoven’s music so easily. I remember reading about the first time Berlioz listened to a symphony by Beethoven; I don’t remember which one, or how old he was, but by then Berlioz was already quite a mature composer. Sitting in that concert hall, Berlioz experienced Beethoven’s music for the first time. He was blown away, transported, deeply moved. In that moment, I realized that to listen to that symphony, Berlioz needed both a concert hall and full live orchestra. As such, he had never found Beethoven's music before; and never could, without someone, or rather a whole group of people, playing for him. I was stupefied.

I can access countless recordings of any Beethoven symphony instantly through my phone. I often fall asleep at night, under the cover of darkness and my blanket, with only my sense of sound engaged by music. Occasionally, I feel compelled to listen to a Beethoven symphony. And when I feel so compelled, my biggest challenge in realizing my ambitions is to find the right piece through my vast library. Being able to listen to music whenever I want, especially during those late nights wrapped by covers and sound, is a privilege that gives me so much joy that it hurts to think about a time before modern technology made music immediately accessible. In my head, I imagine Berlioz, late at night, unable to sleep, tortured by a melody in his head, aching to listen to Beethoven one more time, but in that moment, wholly unable to do so. The privilege of listening to music, especially good music produced though the hard work of the best musicians, was truly a big deal, an occasion and opportunity to be celebrated. If my only access to music was through live concerts, I don’t know how I would survive. Luckily, I was born into a time with CDs and iTunes.