Music Appreciation Essay

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I sit in the balcony of the performing arts center, watching the stage intently as soft lights glint off of violins, flutes, and kettle drums. As the orchestra plays a swelling concert ‘A’, signaling the show will begin momentarily, my chest rises up in unison. People across the auditorium let out thunderous applause as the conductor strides onto his podium. The auditorium falls silent except for the sound of those hurrying to clear their throats and cough. The conductor raises his arms, baton resting gently in his left hand. The entire building holds its breath – and then – the downbeat.

I’m convinced classical music is the love of my life. Every interest has humble beginnings - mine were Baby Einstein DVDs. The mix of colorful toys and classical music piqued my interest. That’s where half of my interest came from. The other half came from a
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While you can learn as part of appreciation, they are separate processes. That being said, I lost sight of my interest in classical music when I started taking piano lessons. I would play classical pieces but I saw them as mundane tasks rather than something I should be grateful for. Most children lack deep appreciation for their interests - I was one of them. I didn’t begin rediscovering my passion for classical music until I was thirteen. My piano teacher had me on a strict regimen of Bach minuets for a year, and I fell in love all over again. I’d find myself looking up minuets I wanted to play for hours at a time. From then on, I went through short bursts of classical music phases, each lasting a few weeks. I didn’t discover my deepest appreciation until around 2016. I really began to delve into the Baroque era and its offerings – it was like finding my soulmate. The dark and unusual melodies of the era are home to me. I haven’t stopped exploring the genre since. I can confirm that if you talk to me about Baroque music, it’s very hard to shut me

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