Welcome Home!
If you ask me, I think we all need a little music in the house.
It might be as simple as listening – sometimes with teeth on edge – to the slow progress as a child learns a song on the piano, hammering out the same tune day after day until, miraculously, it is suddenly beautiful. Or as rich and complex, and as powerful, as an aria that fills every corner of a darkened room.
When it surrounds us, music sets the tune and the tone for life.
I sometimes feel out of step. In a world of iPods and cell phones with mp3 players, I’m an anomaly. I don’t always want music plugged into my ears. There are times I want it in the room with me.
Like most of you, I have my own soundtrack. There are the bouncy tunes I play – loudly – to help me dance through the housework. I have my favorite dinnertime sounds, soft classical music that makes the food taste better and the wine special.
And we shouldn’t underestimate the power of mood music; the CDs that make it clear to anyone who’s paying attention that I’m working up a head of steam about something. The songs that say, “Uh oh. Mama’s mad, so watch your step.”
And then there are always the torch singers to sing me through the blues.
I don’t have the world’s greatest sound system, but I do love the process of running my finger down a stack of CDs – or, on occasion, a stack of old albums – and finding something that says exactly what I want to hear. And then settling back on the sofa, a cat on my lap, to listen. In that way the music becomes a part of the room and a part of what I’m feeling at that moment.
On a plane or the bus or sitting in front of the computer at my desk, I keep my music close to my ears. But at home, in my own house, there’s nothing better than letting the sound surround.
This week in Home
If you love beautiful music or beautiful homes, or both, this is the issue for you. The second of this season’s Allegro Baroque and Beyond’s concerts will be at Cliff Aerie, a one-of-a-kind historic home in Spokane. We’ve brought you the story of the renovation of the house and a peek into the exquisite rooms that are soon to be filled with live music.
Our Beautiful Home page features a charming cottage that is filled with collectibles and rescued treasures, and we’ve got a veterinarian’s advice for how to snuggle up to your pets without sneezing.
Gardening columnist Pat Munts offers information about Washington state’s contribution to the cranberry industry and, as a special Thanksgiving treat, shares a favorite recipe for cranberry salsa.
There’s something for everyone in this week’s issue, and as always, it’s yours for a song.