Sometimes something old speaks to us in fresh and inspiring tones and I found this to be the case with a TED Talk presented by noted conductor Benjamin Zander (pictured). Originally produced in 2008, Zander’s witty and motivating talk “The Transformative Power of Classical Music” addresses the multi-faceted subject of why classical music is for everyone. In only 20 minutes!
As a recorder teacher, I often encounter a student who hears a piece of music, enthusiastically brings it to me and desires to play it with the same beauty with which it initially struck them. I love when this happens. My job as a teacher is to empower them to find what it is in the music that awakens their spirit and to help them bring it to fruition. Zander speaks to what hits the listeners’ ears when it comes to hearing a piece of classical music. First, the beauty. But then...what’s for dinner, did I let the dog out?
Why do some performances of musical works render us speechless and other performances find us with wandering minds?