lenny

when i was a little girl i wanted to become an orchestra conductor. i used to sway my arms back and forth in the air with chopsticks pretending i stood infront of a grand audience conducting(i still do sometime). this idea formed after i had seen west-side story for the first time. i loved the music so much that i made my parents buy me the "leonard bernstein conducting west side story" album. it was more a phase than anything else since i didn't end up persuing it. let's face it: i'm no prodigy.

but the art of conducting is fascinating. it's all sweat, blood and tears. it's moving to see them tracing shapes in the air, reaching for the note. i love it. especially watching leonard bernstein's emotionally charged performances. his style is very flamboyant and that appeals to me.

i've read up on leonard bernstein. the conductor, the composer, the pianist, the teacher. it's really astonishing how he was able to popularize the classics. he's had a tremendous influence on so many different levels. it's just so unfair. few people are born with great talent and most people struggle their whole life to find out what their "talent" is.

bernstein's television show "young people's concerts" that aired back in the 60's, was his take on classical music with a commentary format. really inspiring to watch. i'm going to buy the dvd collection but there are some youtube clips available.

i wish my collection of classical music was bigger. i'm really not a connoisseur at all. all i know is that when i listen to it, it has a complete different effect on me than other music. it consumes me and leaves me with a profound wonder of not only music but of life itself.

oh and if you have to know, i moved on from wanting to be a conductor to popstar to newscast reader. all of them before the age of 13 and none of them intact.

"Life without music is unthinkable, music without life is academic. That is why my contact with music is a total embrace.” LB