Back when I was in high school and excited to enjoy my new CD player I quickly began diverting all of my funds in the direction of music. I bought soundtracks of movies that I loved, I bought the latest pop hits, and I bought whatever else I could get my hands on. There was no internet, there was no file-sharing, there was no downloading, there was only the record store and me riffling through the bins and boxes of music, looking for my next treasure. But I didn’t spend a lot of time in the classical music section.
I don’t remember when I first heard the piece; classical music wasn’t something my family listened to. I do remember discussing it with my other music nerd friends as we all began the journey of musical discovery that would take us all to the same place via very different routes. Somewhere, somehow, I had heard Handel’s “Water Music,” and I had decided that I loved it. Forget the 9th symphony, forget Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring, everybody knew those pieces. No, I had discovered a long lost piece of music from the depths of history, and I was thrilled. I simply could not believe how smooth and cultured I was to love such a piece as Handel’s “Water Music.” Surely I was very classy indeed. And as someone growing up in poverty and familial turmoil, I needed to feel a little classy.
I went to the record store and I dipped a toe into the classical section, where I found a CD compilation that included Handel’s “Water Music,” as well as his “Music for the Royal Fireworks,” which made me twice as cool as if I had only found the former bits. And even better, it cost much less than that new Cranberries CD that had just come out. Classical music, as I discovered, was very cheap! Either that or it was ridiculously expensive. It seemed to be all bargain bin, or European import. Not much in between. Either way, I snapped that CD up for $6.99 plus tax and raced home, ready to begin a life of musical snobbery and bragging. And I have never looked back. Excepting in that I might currently own more Cranberries CDs than Handel CDs…
Well I am writing all of this to you because I just got an awesome thing in the mail from my music publishing friends (free for me! whoo-hoo!). It is called “Amazing Water” and it is a book and CD combo that includes 20 classical tracks, from Vivaldi to Crumb, that deal with water. And, of course, Handel’s “Alla Hornpipe” from his water music is included. But the great thing about having all of these tracks together is that you can really hear how different composers tried to present the imagery of water. To some it is gentle rain, to others a raging storm. You can hear rushing rivers and lapping waves, and best of all you can share it with your kids.
The book that accompanies the CD is filled, not only with beautiful and whimsical drawings and paintings, but with loads of information about the music. There is a composer timeline, there are descriptions of each piece that talk about the water imagery, and a glossary of the musical terms used in the book. But it doesn’t ever feel like a textbook or a learning tool! It is a learning tool, but it feels like a story. It feels like a scavenger hunting adventure through musical history as you gather up songs and examples, with the book as a guide, and my kids are going to love it!
The book is called “Amazing Water,”and it is put together by Ana Gerhad with illustrations by Margarita Sada (one of which you can see at the top of this page). The CD comes with it, and you can find out more about it here (including a full track listing). It was released this week, and I can’t wait to start exploring this music with my kids, the same music that got me started on my road to classical music so many years ago. I hope you can find a path with your family too, that ends in the same place: a lifelong love of music.