The neighbors sent over a plate again. I sent some TCHAIKOVSKY.

[UTUSN]

It's a young family, a nine yr old boy, seven yr old girl, just added a baby (2 months), mom had just stopped working for the new kid, dad got his hours cut last month. She's home monitoring the internet school or whatever it is. There was worry about a full layoff for him, but 250 out of 500 got to stay with cut hours.

Last week they celebrated with outdoors brisket and sent a plate. Tonight it was fish sticks. No way I can tell them not to send plates. (The brisket was wa-aay tender, by the bye.)

The dad had mentioned that the boy is a whiz at chess at school and the usual basketball and such, but also that he likes Classical music, adding, "I've got a little NERD!1"

So this evening after their supper, they were outside, kids playing, and I set up a boom box. All on one disc 1812; Francesca d'Rimini, and Marche Slav. Had to make sure to skip the Suicide Symphony.

The parents were in lawn chairs facing over here. I didn't notice the kids particularly tuned to the music.

[SheltieLover]

1. Nice!

Did you congratulate the dad for rearing a son with really good taste? 😉

[UTUSN]

2. First time I play semi-loud music, have complained about (other) "parties" over the years!1

[SheltieLover]

3. LOL

[regnaD kciN]

4. Try and find out which composers the kid likes...

You might be able to tailor your "broadcasts" to works that might interest him.

[UTUSN]

6. TCHAIKOVSKY is fairly much the alpha & omega for everybody. & Overture to BIZET's Carmen.

One might outgrow TCHAIKOVSKY as too accessible, might go the whole middle lifetime on seemingly harder stuff, but when the game is at the last act there's no better homecoming finale.

Even EISENHOWER, not exactly known as insightful, said he liked TCHAIKOVSKY because it was "tuneful."

And Lennie, who was grounded unto arcane extremes, said that for sheer melodic genius there was no other ... well, ...


I'm not looking to strike up a mentoring thing, was just saying thanks for the plates. He's got parents and uncles. If they get just enough from me to get steered into the band path, that's enough for me.

[jrandom421]

5. Don't forget

"The Nutcracker" and "Sleeping Beauty" if you play more Tchaikovsky. Those are always kid's favorites

[Ferrets are Cool]

7. Stravinsky and Copeland are my go-to's

[UTUSN]

10. But you and I are adults!1

[Ferrets are Cool]

11. Rodeo is a song that I think younger people would enjoy. nt

[erronis]

12. Agree with Copeland/Rodeo. There's a rich catalog of wonderful music to "Soothe the savage breast."

And if there is ever a time for "savage breasts", this is it.

[lunatica]

8. Cool neighborhood!

I love Vivaldi. When I was growing up my father would put The Four Seasons on in the morning to wake us up and start the day. It was a wonderful way to wake up. Sunday’s were always special, full of the warmth of family getting along, not needing anything outside ourselves to feel complete.

[UTUSN]

9. I spent my adolescence "conducting" to vinyl concerts. My sister was in that monthly record club and

let me pick the bonus/free ones, which ended up as a full collection of the Basics in music appreciation. Except for his operas, I knew just about all of his output. The symphony I had missed somehow was the #5, and one Saturday I turned on the radio concert a couple of minutes late and missed hearing the name of the feature and composer, and after a few of the string runs and curlicues, I blurted, "This is the Symphony #5 by TCHAIKOVSKY!1" And it was.

[erronis]

13. In the Washington D.C. area, Bill Cerri always played the King Singer's "A New Day"

It was a wonderful start to every day.

Unfortunately Bill died on the air as he was broadcasting one morning in 1990. I had to pull off the side of the highway for 20 minutes to be able to finish my commute.

[OriginalGeek]

14. Everything I know about classical music

I learned from Bugs Bunny

&list=RDQMTedSVANoYN8&start_radio=1

[UTUSN]

17. An excellent way to go!1 Actually, this ties into a couple of friends of mine

These two knew each other since grade school and they ended up as co-workers for another twenty years, went on vacations together, whatever. Were always together at staff meetings, lunch, everywhere. Had the same first name. We called them Big so-&-so and Little so-&-so, since Big was a bit taller and clearly the dominant one.

Big was also hyper-critical of everybody including her husband, nobody in her entire life was exempt except her father and one brother, whom she adored. Even Little was not spared.

So one time we all were in some large public place and common, very well known classical music was on the music system, and little said with pleased wonder, "Oh, listen, Bugs Bunny!1"

And Big zinged immediately, "Did you hear what she said?!1 She thinks it's cartoon music!1" Said with her customary withering tone. She was a Libra, could size anybody up with one glance and immediately know where the weak spot was and never forgot it and stuck the knife in at any opportunity.

********OriginalGeek, it's only the Bugs part, nothing else aimed at you!1

[OriginalGeek]

23. lol!

[panader0]

15. When I was 6 and 7 ('56 and '57) my AF dad was stationed in Morocco.

No radio except Muslim prayers and Arabic music. So, if I got good
grades, which I always did, I got a record, always classical music.
Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Shostakovich, Bach, etc. So I had a knowledge
of classical stuff.
Fast forward to when I was 11 or 12, my dad was stationed at Dyess
in Abilene. The local orchestra put on The 1812 Overture and our school
class attended. I held hands with Margaret Lester. I got teased endlessly
in school about that. My Tchaikovsky memory.

[UTUSN]

18. What a wonderful spectrum of life experience you have, & it shows in your posts.

[sl8]

16. A little carbide cannon would add some zest to the 1812 overture.

https://www.toycannons.ray-vin.com/carbide/howworks.htm
How Carbide Cannons Work.

[panader0]

19. When I saw it (above post), there were Air Force guys with

rifles on stage. When the time for fireworks came, they fired their guns,
blanks of course. Quite the crescendo.

[UTUSN]

20. This dude finally got around to firing it at the 3:55 mark - that's *it*?!1

[sl8]

21. I'm guessing that the video doesn't do it justice.

Have you heard a handgun on a YouTube video or even in movies or TV? You only get a small fraction of the actual volume

That said, I haven't used a carbide cannon in over 40 years and I may be remembering it as louder then it really was.

[OriginalGeek]

24. The closest I've come to live cannon fire

Was when I saw AC/DC and they fired them off during "For Those About To Rock".

In oddly appropriate twist, this video was filmed live in Moscow. I wonder if the folks there were thinking "Heyyyyy, they stole this part from Tchaikovsky!"


Until I saw Motörhead live, this was the loudest thing I had ever experienced. Not sure how it compares to a real cannon though lol.

[Cronezilla]

22. Classical faves that kids may like

Here's a list of Classical Greatest Hits that I enjoyed as a child (not listed in any particular order)-

Saint Saens- Carnival of the Animals
Beethoven- Pastoral Symphony, #6
Smetana- The Moldau
Greig- Piano Concerto in A minor
Dvorak- Slavonic Dances (for orchestra or piano duo)
Schumann- Scenes from Childhood (solo piano) and Piano Concerto in A minor
Mendelssohn- Fingal's Cave and Midsummer Night's Dream Overatures
Rimsky Korsakov- Scheherazade
J S Bach- Toccata and Fugue in D minor (so spooky!)
Gershwin- Rhapsody in Blue
Chopin- Polonaises and Etudes (solo piano)
Debussy- Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun

Classical is good to engage young imaginations and emotions.