Day 2 - I miss Austin Singers

I should be doing homework. Instead, I'm writing this as quickly as possible before it leaves my brain (which is now a shifting information dump). So here it is.

This afternoon, I was being the diligent student I should be and studying in the library. I had my phone on last.fm playing classical music, and the Brahms Requiem began playing. If you've never heard it, find a way. It is quite simply a moving experience, and performing it is even more amazing. I have had that honor with the Austin Singers, and what immediately rushed to my mind was Ara Carapetyan, the interim director at the time, explaining to us that Brahms had written this after the death of his mother. Unlike other requiems that were about death, this was for the living and focused on comfort. He told us to sing it in honor of someone we loved, and by god it was an amazing performance. I nearly cried in the last movement about a million times.

Yes, it's a little sappy, but here's the thing. In my short time in this world, I've come to believe there are three types of experiences that are the most personally fulfilling. The first is clearly accomplishing a goal. The second is what we do for others or with others in mind. The third is the new or awe-inspiring experience that makes us catch our breath. On the occasion that something fits all three of these categories, it leaves such a deep impression that we can remember and possibly even relive those feelings when we think back.

The Brahms requiem was one of these for me. I sang it with my high school piano teacher in my heart. She had died the year before our concert almost to the day, and I couldn't make it home to her funeral. Her favorite composer was Brahms. She always told me that I would understand why when I was at the right level to perform his work, and I do. She was my mentor and my biggest supporter. Every time I would tell her I wanted to go to law school or that I had changed my mind, she would tell me I was bound to change my mind a hundred more times but that I would probably end up going to law school and that I would be happy there. She rarely gave me high praise if she felt it was better to encourage me to improve, but she always let me know in different ways how proud of me she was. She also taught me how to work over months for one thing and how to pace myself. She taught me diligence, persistence, and I taught her to loosen up. So, here's to you, Eloise. Law school is a much longer performance, but I've got you telling me I can do better all the way. I should be doing my homework, so back to it.

Source: http://evanbeth.blogspot.com/2010/08/day-2-i-miss-austin-singers.html