I heard Blue Kite by Stephen Goss played by guitarist Xuefei Yang on the way to work a couple of days ago. The music creates a lovely atmosphere - the experience of watching a blue kite fluttering in the breeze. As I listened, I remembered helping J to fly her first kite a couple of months ago and wished she could have been in the car with me - I made a note get her to listen. And so we did this weekend, she liked it but was not quite as struck by its minimalist loveliness as I was. Maybe she did not see that blue kite, hear the tug of the twine and the rush of the wind. It was just a piece of good music.
Later in the morning, I was listening to a Beethoven piece when J said " I have heard that before". When I asked her if she remembered it all the way to the end, she commented "You are trying to tie me with a rope just like that poem - you are not supposed to. I just like that music". I had to smile at the connection she had made between the Billy Collins poem I had read to her a few days ago and my interest in her ability to appreciate music. As with poetry, music has always been for me mostly about enjoyment and rarely if ever about comprehension. I gather its no different with J.
Later in the morning, I was listening to a Beethoven piece when J said " I have heard that before". When I asked her if she remembered it all the way to the end, she commented "You are trying to tie me with a rope just like that poem - you are not supposed to. I just like that music". I had to smile at the connection she had made between the Billy Collins poem I had read to her a few days ago and my interest in her ability to appreciate music. As with poetry, music has always been for me mostly about enjoyment and rarely if ever about comprehension. I gather its no different with J.
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