Quote of the Week...from Ludwig van Beethoven

Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy.      ---Ludwig van Beethoven

Music seems to be an intrinsic part of humanity, interwoven into the diversity of cultures all across the world.  From infancy onward we are exposed to songs that open up a part of our consciousness to a different way of communicating and thinking...my life memories have always had a parallel track of musical experiences that, while in themselves worthy of being remembered, also serve to help me vividly recall by association...often in detail...what was going on at different times in my past.  Recently I have begun to listen in earnest to classical music...it was inevitable that I would pick up a CD of one of my favorite works: Ludwig van Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in D-Minor, featuring what I consider to be one of the most fascinating pieces of music ever: the Second Movement...

Like many of you of a more senior age like myself, I was introduced to the Second Movement of Beethoven's Ninth as a child, at the closing credits of the Huntley-Brinkley Report, which was NBC's weeknight news program.  Eventually I learned that a very important musical genius named Beethoven composed it, which he accomplished while stone deaf!  But music does not have to be perceived through functioning ears to be heard: once I've heard a song a number of times, it independently plays itself within my mind...and to a trained musician like Beethoven this ability was probably greatly magnified.  In any event, I have that CD in my car and play that movement over and over again...and yes, my brain now plays it as well long after I've shut off the engine...

To bring Ludwig van Beethoven's quote to its proper conclusion, let me just say that music transcends language in its effect on people's personalities, values, and behavior.  And if a talented artist can effectively combine the music with meaningful lyrics, he or she can yield an enormous influence over others.  If you want to evaluate how our society has changed over the past few generations...for better or for worse...you cannot reach any reasonable conclusions as to the causes unless you seriously consider the effects that music has exerted on our world...