Talent Redefined

I'm on a talent search.

Before my kids hit the tween years, I want to build up a music library full of interesting, clever, evocative, original, and beautiful pieces by truly talented songwriters and composers. I have this dream of the market shifting from trash to treasure. I want to see Gabriela Montero on the cover of a magazine at the checkout stand. Or a reality show where contestants compete to compose the most original symphony. If we, consumers of entertainment, can change the nature of our demand, then future generations have the hope of emotional and intellectual enrichment through music, rather than degeneration.

So, for the next...oh, I don't know--4 weeks or so?--I will be searching for and posting music that reflects actual talent. Not sales, not trends, not shock value--just talent. Opera, world music, jazz, rock, and even country.

Even though my sphere of influence mostly includes people who already value the above-mentioned qualities, I hope these posts are shared with young people who need exposure to something better than twerking and sick house beats. Not that house music is bad--some of it is quite innovative--but there is more to music.

First up, a bit of opera. I heard this song on the classical music station this morning in the car (you know, trying to stay clam in the morning rush). I have to admit, at first I thought the voice was a little annoying. But as my three-year-old and I kept listening, the vocal complexity became more intense. You have to admire a person who can do things with their voice that the rest of us couldn't do under torture. (Yeah, I'm not sure what that means either.)

The other thing I love about this piece is the echo of the trumpet and the duet between the voice and trumpet at various points. I'ts really beautifully arranged to sound like multiple voices.

So here it is: "Let the Bright Seraphim", from Handel's Samson. This version features Kathleen Battle, whom I am trying to learn more about, and Wynton Marsalis, a well-known jazz musician and composer. Enjoy!